The need for a proper permanent expansion at a South Tipperary school has been raised in the Seanad.
Kilsheelan National School has around 100 pupils in the village near Clonmel.
The current school was built in 1960 with two pre-fab classrooms added in the 1980s.
A tender process to replace the temporary structure with two mainstream classrooms along with a special educational classroom closed this week.
Senator Garret Ahearn has asked that the Department make a decision on the works as soon as the tender is complete.
“The conditions within the prefabs are extremely poor – it’s got a metal roof, its poorly insulated. Children there during the winter months are often complaining of being cold – teachers often have to do walks just to keep people warm. The cost of heating the place is fairly significant. Essentially all the Principal and Board of Management want to do is to modernise the school to the standard we expect.”
A swift decision will be made on the much needed expansion once the tender documents have been submitted to the Department.
Minister Thomas Byrne has given a commitment to Tipperary Senator Garret Ahearn who highlighted the situation at Kilsheelan National School.
The Minister acknowledged how important it was that these were replaced with permanent structures.
“The school authority must now submit an Architectural Stage 3 Tender report in line with the Departments requirements for approval to start construction. So officials were told by the Principal that the project has been put for tender.
“The one thing I say here today just to be clear is that once the Stage 3 Tender report has been received by the Department it will then be reviewed by officials and the school then will be contacted directly by the Department. That’s the procedure that these matters have to go through but I definitely appreciate the urgency of the situation.”
