Dublin City Councillor for Glasnevin, Drumcondra, Finglas and Ballymun, Noel Rock, today welcomed the announcement of a substantial school building programme for 2015, with 70 major projects being undertaken, including 44 new schools at primary level and 5 new schools at post-primary level, including the new Educate Together school on Church Avenue in Glasnevin.
Speaking ahead of the announcement, Councillor Rock said: “This project is a huge boost both to the community and to the workers who will be employed during the construction of the project. It will provide a new permanent home to this school, and will no doubt provide children with a great education for generations to come”.
Councillor Rock added: “However, there can be no doubt that we also need a new secondary school to complement this. In this sense, I am conscious that the Minister is aware – following many representations from myself and others – that there is a desperate need for a second-level Educate Together school within north Dublin city, particularly around the Glasnevin area. I am hopeful that this will be noted ahead of the launch of the new five-year plan for school construction in the first half of 2015.
Councillor Rock continued: “It’s clear that, with 44 new primary schools and 5 new secondary schools being built, there will be a clear need for further secondary schools in future rounds of this programme so that supply can keep pace with demand. In Glasnevin and surrounding areas, there is no question of the demand following the concerted campaign by parents which saw 2,000 signatures collected, while primary level Educate Together schools continue to be oversubscribed locally. As such, this announcement confirming the construction of a new primary school is a welcome one, however there is more to do. There is no question that it is a burning issue for me, is my top priority in this term, and I will continue to make the case for a second-level Educate Together school in Glasnevin”.