Plans set to be lodged for new Offaly special school

Plans for a new purpose-built school for Offaly School of Special Education (OSSE) have taken a major step forward this week.

Minister for Education Helen McEntee has signalled her intention to apply for planning permission shortly to Offaly County Council for a major new special school.

The two-storey facility will comprise 12 classrooms, a general purpose hall, music room, home economics room and multi-sensory rooms. It’s also due to include a library, administration areas, and other facilities.

It is planned for a site at Norbury Woods Avenue, Ardan, Tullamore.

Welcoming the news, Fine Gael TD for Offaly John Clendennen said it was “the next step in the journey”.

“We now need to get to the destination with the delivery of this new state-of-the-art facility,” he added, highlighting the extra services the new building would enable.

Deputy Clendennen said he had given a commitment to have the project progressed, and had spoken to both the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Hildegarde Naughton, and the Tánaiste Simon Harris on the issue.

He described the work being carried out at the school's temporary location in Kilcruttin as “seriously commendable”.

The new school is expected to have a floor area of circa 3,367 square metres.

There will also be a new vehicular and pedestrian site entrance from Norbury Woods Avenue, a covered walkway between the school and the bus set down, car parking, bicycle parking, and a school garden with external play areas. The existing footpath on Norbury Woods Avenue is also to be extended.

Offaly School of Special Education caters for pupils from the ages of four to eighteen with a range of educational needs including severe and profound general learning disability and Autism spectrum disorders (ASD).