Senator Aisling Dolan - Strong Voice, New Vision.
The planning decision today, is the next step in a long journey for the teaching staff, pupils, families and board of management.
The people of Ballinasloe have waited 27 years for a new school building in town. We have excellent teaching staff but an old building which can be freezing in the winter. Now this is the next step to a new School for close to 300 children. Already this year we have a waiting list for children for school places and especially children with special needs across our national primary schools – we need larger schools and more capacity.
This school has close to 300 students, a DEIS Level 1 school where families travel from all across counties Galway, Roscommon and Westmeath to attend. Dedicated and committed teaching staff with Special Education teachers and SNAs however now there is no more space.”
In 1996 the boys and girls national school, my own school, amalgamated with the promise of a new school. 5 boards of management and 5 principals who worked to bring this project forward and now we have an important decision with planning permission approved”
It will be a fantastic new high spec school building for families in this town.
To acknowledge the work of Principal Christine Connor and the current board of management and patron Bishop Michael Duignan with the Design Team and the Department of Education. This new planning permission is based on a brand new design for a larger school with 3 additional classrooms for a total of 16 classrooms.
The Decision today by Galway County Council comes with conditions for planning to progress. I look forward to working with Scoil An Chroí Noafa, the Department of Education with the design team to move this to the next stage meeting the requirements for planning and preparing tender documents for construction. I would also like to thank the Council for working pro-actively with the Department of Education to accommodate the new school build.
This new 2 storey school build will have a new access road to the side beside the library with safe new pick up & drop off at the back of the building. There will be a new playing pitch and play areas. It really is going to be a fantastic new primary school building for Ballinasloe”
This project is a major priority for me and I have spoken often with Minister for Education Norma Foley and Minister for Special Education & Inclusion Josepha Madigan on the importance of this school.
