COLD portacabins and leaking roofs will be a thing of the past for the children of Gaelscoil na Cruaiche in Westport after finally getting the go-ahead to start planning for a new school.
The Irish language school, established in 1996, is just one of three Mayo Schools to be given the go ahead to proceed with major capital works in 2006.
Scoil Iosa, Ballyhaunis and St Mary’s Secondary School, Convent of Mercy, Ballina have also been given the green light to build extensions.
After months of lobbying local representatives and trips to the D·il, news of the state of the art school came as a welcome relief in Westport.
“It’s the best new we’ve had in a long time,” School principal, Mairéad ní Ru·in, told the Western People.
With 197 young primary school children packed into five portacabins in disrepair, the 9 teachers are forced to hold dance and band classes in the cramped staff room, while there is play area for PE classes.
“We’re looking forward to all being in the same building and from a health and safety point of view and space it will be great. We’ll be able to implement the full curriculum, which we’ve not been able to do to the best of our ability. Now we can have sports and drama,” noted the principal.
With a site on the Golf Course Road already identified and purchased from the Town Council, an architectural team who will design and plan the works can now be appointed.
Westport Deputy, Michael Ring, complemented the parents and teachers on putting the pressure on the Minister for Education to allocate funding for the school, even taking their children from class and setting up a hedge school at the Mall area last year.
“I want to compliment everybody involved. I was delighted to play my own part. It’s great now that the school will be up and running and the students will have a high quality educational facility for the years ahead. I now hope that the new school can progress through planning to construction stage as quickly as possible,”
Chairman of the residents association of Pairc na Coille and local Councillor, Keith Martin told the Western People that it was not only the local children who were benefiting from the development but also local residents.
With the local Council netting more than 800,000 for the school site, a park to the tune of •400,000 will be built in the area.
“A large portion of the sale is going towards a new park, which will have two playgrounds, walkways, a green area and sensory gardens. We’re getting the primary school and a park ten years ahead of schedule,” remarked Cllr Martin.
But it’s not all good news for the school children with the lease on the current premises at Alta-mont Street running out in June of this year. With the new school not expected to be complete before September 2007, the children could find themselves with no school.
“We’re actively looking for interim accommodation,” noted the principal.
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