Nolan complains Birr Gaelscoil is 'still in limbo'

Seven years after opening its doors for the first time, Birr's first multi-denominational co-educational school, Gaelscoil na Laochra, is “still in limbo” as to when they will have a new building.

This was the view conveyed to Minister for Education, Norma Foley, in the Dail last week by Independent Laois/Offaly TD, Carol Nolan, who sought information on the timeline for the long-awaited new school. “The lease is running out on the current accommodation and, seven years after opening its doors, the school is still in limbo,” she said.

Deputy Nolan raise the issue of Gaelscoil na Laochra during priority questions in the Dail and claimed that an “information vacuum exists” in respect of timeframes and how the building project will proceed after the planning stage has concluded.

Minister Foley confirmed that the building project is currently at planning application stage with a final decision to be made at the end of this month, but Deputy Nolan said the school needs to be able to “plan ahead for increased demand” and are unable to do so due to the lack of “a timeframe and a schedule” for the new school.

The saga over a new gaelscoil for Birr has been ongoing since the school first opened in a leased building at Sandymount Haven in 2015. Planning permission for a new school in the centre of Birr was put in place but has since expired, and now the Department of Education has approved a greenfield site for the new school with the project being devolved to Laois Offaly Education and Training Board, LOETB.

The proposed new school will have four mainstream classrooms, a Special Education Needs base, a general-purpose hall and ancillary teaching space and services. A new access road and an entrance off the new distributor road being constructed in Birr near Lidl to link the Tullamore Road (N52) at Woodlands and the Birr to Banagher Road at Cappaneale (R439) is also proposed as part of the project.

Deputy Nolan told Minister Foley that the lack of clarity and a definite timeline for the new gaelscoil has been “frustrating for all involved in the school community” including teachers, parents and students and added that the school needs clarity in order to be able to “plan ahead for increased demand.”

While she welcomed the fact that progess is being made on the new school, the local Independent Deputy said a timeframe “outlining the steps and providing a sense of when we are going to reach the end line needs to be given to the school”.

The Minister said there is “a clear line of progress” that needs to be followed, particularly in the area of planning and added that the Department will move the project “with the priority that can be afforded to it given the various hurdles it has to jump.”

Minister Foley reminded Deputy Nolan that the ETB bears responsibility for communicating progress on the project to the school authorities concerned and said she would like the see the project going ahead “as quickly as possible”.