The community of the Holy Trinity National School in Westport is devastated after it was informed yesterday by the Department of Education that it has again stalled its long awaited new school building.
The 60 pupil strong school, located in Westport town, is one of the longest established schools in the province.
It has sought and campaigned for a new, modern school building for 15 years and had after an exhaustive and protracted effort secured the vacant, former Scoil Phádraig NS school on Altamont St in the town as it new home. The project had been Stage 1 approved and it was anticipated the builders would be on site shortly and the school community could enjoy a state of the art new school, within the structure of a former school.
Eoin Holmes is a member of the Board of Management of Trinity NS, and has fought the long campaign with the school community to secure the new school building, and says they are all devastated having received a letter from the Department of Education yesterday that clearly indicates that the project is again stalled.
The Department has decided as an “urgent temporary accommodation need” for the Sacred Heart School, Westport, it has identified “as the only viable solution” to relocate students to the former Scoil Phádraig building. The Dept intends to undertake some immediate upgrade works to the Scoil Phádraig building in order that the students of the Sacred Heart School can use it.
The Department has provided no timescale as to how long this situation will be in place.
Eoin joins me this Lunchtime…this appears to be an almost unbelievable situation.. how significant is this news to your long sought after battle for an appropriate school building for students for students and staff at Trinity NS …
