Mayo school takes its protest to the Dáil
Students, teachers and parents from Castlebar Educate Together National School protesting outside Leinster House last Wednesday.
Pupils, parents and staff of Castlebar Educate Together National School made the journey to Dublin last Wednesday to further impress on politicians the dire conditions within the school’s three-building configuration. Their protest in front of Dáil Éireann was the school’s latest attempt to progress a new school building committed to by Minister for Education Norma Foley in September 2022.
Local Oireachtas members joined the children throughout the day and again pledged their support to see the new school advanced. Minister Alan Dillon met with principal Sarah Calvey and students and reiterated his commitment to advancing the acquisition of a new school building at the former Hat Factory site in Castlebar. Minister Dillon said: "Despite delays and limited engagement from the Department of Education, along with a need for stronger support from Educate Together patrons, I remain determined and focused on moving this project forward."
Sinn Féin TDs Rose Conway-Walsh and Sorca Clarke spoke with the children about their experiences of being separated from siblings and friends across three inadequate buildings. Deputy Conway-Walsh had raised the school’s issues with the Minister for Public Expenditure in the Dáil earlier that day and asked him to urgently address this matter.
Senator Lisa Chambers heard from school staff how there are other challenges that the school is dealing with day to day, including operating on a budget for just one site when the school is spread across three. Senator Chambers spoke with Minister Foley about the Castlebar school but admitted that progress is moving way too slow.
Among other politicians that spoke with pupils, parents and staff at the protest were Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik, Michael Ring, Paul Murphy and Senator Paddy Burke.
Castlebar Educate Together principal Sarah Calvey said: "The protest was a great opportunity to have in-person conversations with the CEO of Educate Together, Emer Nowlan, and Oireachtas members from all parties. I had frank discussions with our patron and elected members. No one had the opportunity to blame the other, instead the pupils brought it all back to it being everyone’s responsibility to raise these issues further with the Department of Education."
