School delays ‘beggar belief’

Parents of children going to Curraghmore National School have voiced their frustrations that the school’s new home on the Ardmore Road won’t be open until October at the earliest.

Parents were recently informed that the €5m school won’t be ready in time for new school year. One of the incoming junior infants classes will be temporarily housed at the St Loman’s GFC clubhouse, while the children attending the school’s new ASD unit will have to travel to St Etchen’s National School in Kinnegad until the Curraghmore project is complete. The school was originally due to be finished in time for the start of the current school year in September 2018.

Eddie Byrne’s son is one of the students who will start their primary education in the St Loman’s clubhouse.

He says that “it beggars belief” that the completion date has been delayed nine times.

“I can’t believe that it’s been going on for so long. When we got the July deadline, there was a sense of relief more than anything – then to be told that it was being delayed again.”

Mr Byrne says that he passes by the site every day and is regularly struck by the small numbers of workers there.

“We are just praying that October date goes ahead. If it does go ahead, it wouldn’t be too bad but you have to question if it will be October, that’s the multi-million dollar question.”

Martina Fay-Geoghegan’s son Cianán is in first class at Curraghmore. Cianán has additional needs and while Ms Fay-Geoghegan says that he loves going to the school, she can’t wait until the long wait is over and he and his classmates move to their new home.

“My main concern is that he is in a prefab classroom that is designed for 15 children and this year there are 28 students housed in there.

“Hand on heart the only reason Cianán is still at the school is that the culture is correct for him. The culture of support from the teachers is great. He is helped in every possible way. The staff go over and beyond to help all the kids.”

Ms Fay-Geoghegan added that her son is due extra support but won’t be able to access it until the school moves, which is “highly frustrating”.

Patrick Darby’s son Adam is starting in Curraghmore NS in September. Recently diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, he will have to travel almost 30km each morning to St Etchen’s in Kinnegad until the new school opens this autumn.

Mr Darby says that like many children on the autism spectrum Adam likes routine and moving to a new school will be an upheaval.

The Curraghmore NS Parents Association issued a statement calling on the school’s builder PJ McLoughlin, Westmeath County Council and the Department of Education to “take responsibility for delivering the build for a September 2019 move-in and answer why this cannot be achieved”.

The parents group says that its members and the parents of children entering the school “are extremely angry at the revised move in-date of October and the continued visibly slow rate of building progress of our new school Holy Family NS”.

“This delay directly affects 276 families as the health and safety concerns for children and teachers in and outside the overcrowded dangerous Curraghmore location leads to a stressful situation for the entire school community. At enrolment evening principal Michael Molloy took the pre-emptive step of advising new parents of contingency plans despite the promised July 2019 end date – new junior infants to go to St Loman’s GAA location and new ASD classes to go to St Etchen’s NS, Kinnegad. These contingency measures will now become a reality for 42 children and their families as a direct result of the already overcrowded conditions in Curraghmore and the failure to deliver the new build as promised.”

Council comment on p6