FG pressures Education Minister on Tullamore schools progress

Fine Gael Deputy Olwyn Enright has urged the Education Minister to speed his delivery of the building projects for two Tullamore secondary schools. Deputy Enright asked the Minister to provide an update on Tullamore College and Coláiste Choilm, as she is anxious to see that both schools progress to the next stage of their building programmes. 'Regarding Tullamore College, the Minister said that the schedules of accommodation have been accepted by County Offaly VEC for the proposed building project at the school while the Department is currently reviewing the Stage 2A submission [Developed Sketch Scheme] and on completion of this review, his officials will be in further contact with the school authorities in Coláiste Choilm,' said Deputy Enright. 'However, again the Minister was unable to give an indicative timeframe of when these projects are expected to move to the next stages of their progression. This is typical of the response that I have been receiving from the Minister regarding other schools in my constituency that I have questioned him about.' Speaking at Monday"s Offaly County Council meeting, Cllr Molly Buckley pointed out that Minister O"Keefe confirmed that Tullamore College would go to design stage 'some time in 2009'. 'He didn"t say early 2009, if it"s late in the year then it will be 2010,' she said.