This article is from page 18 of the 2009-03-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
BISHOP of Killaloe Willie Walsh has hit out at “unacceptable” school conditions in Ennis.
Bishop Walsh was speaking in En- nis on Thursday where he also stat- ed that the provision of new school buildings in Ennis had been a “prior- ity” for him since he became patron of the schools 20 years ago.
‘These are very difficult issues and very sensitive issues. None of us do everything perfect. I have no hesita- tion in saying that I didn’t do every- thing perfect over the past 20 years,” said Bishop Walsh, when asked if he thought mistakes had been made during his tenure as schools patron.
He continued, “But the whole ques- tion of buildings in Ennis schools as far as I am concerned is unaccepta- ble. I have at all times, over the years, done all in my power to try and right that situation. I don’t mind saying that it’s a source of real sadness to me to see pupils and teachers work in conditions which I regard as unac- ceptable in this day and age.”
Bishop Walsh’s remarks came at the launch of a common enrolment policy for all six schools in Ennis
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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 recommending extensive building accommodation works, none have been carried out.
“The trap which the Ennis schools fell into is that the devolved grants scheme only applies to extensions. It did not apply to totally new schools. Unfortunately, three of the schools in Ennis had the assessment done 10 years ago, and the Department decided that all three needed new buildings,” he commented.
Bishop Walsh continued, “At the time, we were very happy that we were going to get three totally new schools in Ennis and that the other schools were in new buildings. So we were looking forward to having an excellent standard of new schools in Ennis. But unfortunately, despite our best efforts…And it certainly has been a priority with me. I have had more contact with the department in relation to the buildings in Ennis than in any other place in the dio- cese, but without success.”