KILDARE: Senator says Department of Education is confident in extra school accommodation for September 2023

The issue of school places in County Kildare has long remained a contentious issue.

However, a Senator has said that the Department of Education is 'confident' that it will be able to meet the capacity for schools required for September 2023.

Newbridge based Senator and Fianna Fáil education spokesperson Fiona O’Loughlin described her meeting with the Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, and the Principal of the Curragh Community College, Nessa Doyle, as 'productive on the issue of the new school building at Magee Barracks.'

It follows after she called a meeting with Minister Foley last week to discuss school places in South Kildare.

She said: "The Department are assessing all school applications within Newbridge, Kildare and Curragh area with a view to co-ordinating the number of actual extra places needed to deal with situations where multiple applications are made on behalf of one student.

"This assessment will be complete after Christmas.

"The Department are confident that they will have extra accommodation as required for Sept 2023."

Senator O' Loughlin, who is also a former teacher, continued: "Minister Foley has given this project top priority within the department of education. Of the 90 school projects at this stage, the Curragh Community College is prioritised with a solely dedicated design team."

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"This design team will develop both the new school and the interim accommodation."

"This will require substantial engagement with Kildare County Council, which I will be supporting and assuming no roadblocks in terms of planning, the project for the new school should break ground within 36 months.

"The total building completion time is estimated at 18 months."

She also paid tribute to the Principal of the Curragh Community College, Nessa Doyle, for her work to get the project to this point'.

However, the Senator stressed: "We need to keep the pressure on the Department to ensure that our school capacity is adequate."

Senator O’Loughlin concluded: "I am pleased with what was a constructive meeting and I am confident that Minister Foley understands the absolute need for this project to come to fruition."