This article is from page 33 of the 2009-01-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
LOCAL councillors and Clare’s Dail representatives are to meet to high- light the growing pressures on the school system in Ennis.
Members called for private discus- sions with TDs from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael at last week’s meeting of Ennis Town Council.
The main topic of discussion 1s likely to be the delays in approving new buildings for the town’s primary schools.
Feasibility studies for Ennis Na- tional School, Ennis CBS and Scoil Chriost Ri, Cloughleigh, were first carried out by the Department of Education in 1999.
Despite these studies all recom- mending extensive building accom- modation works, none have been or Neuere melvle
The Diocese of Killaloe at Ashline, Ennis, has provided a site for Ennis National School but the project has yet to receive the go-ahead from the Department of Education.
Staff and parents at Ennis Educate Together have also lobbied inten- sively for a permanent home for the school’s 165 students.
The school is currently located on the Gort Road. Children attend class- es in prefabricated classrooms.
“The conditions that students have to work under, in this day and age, are unacceptable, even in a time of recession,’ said Mayor of Ennis Pe- ter Considine.
Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) said there was a need for four new school buildings in Ennis.
“It seems that in Ennis we are for- ever on the long finger. I wouldn’t like to see a political football made
out if this (meeting). We should all sit down together”, added Mr. Bren- ee
ClUlr Tom Glynn (FF), a teacher at Ennis National, warned cutbacks an- nounced in last October’s budget will seriously affect staffing levels.
“Schools will loose teachers. All schools in Ennis will be affected equally. The issue of new buildings has been going on for a long time now. There are too many pre-fabs in Ennis. With everything happening to the hospital and Shannon airport, the West is being let down’, he said.
Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said there were currently 71 prefabs being used as classrooms in Ennis, a situation he described as “appalling”.
Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said that despite the efforts of staff and par- ents, “There doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel for En-
nis National”.
He added that new buildings were also needed for Ennis CBS. “We’ve been on the back foot for too long” said Cllr Neylon.
Cllr Mary Coote Ryan (FG) said the cutbacks would impact on all lev- els of education.
“It’s a disgrace to see al those pre- fabs in our schools. I think too that we’re inclined to forget about sec- ondary schools but they are in trou- ble also”.
Cllr Considine (FF) urged that the meeting with the TD’s be held in pri- vate. He said the possibility existed that if the meeting was open to the public, “it would evolve into a gov- CHeabeeteyslmoy-bsleupencam ser: 1Ke) sla
“We want them (TDs) to be unified in purpose and to approach this situ- ation collectively rather than politi- cally”, added Clir Considine.