No student will be left without a school place in South Kildare in September 2022 - Minister for Education
Ceann Comhairle and local TD Sean O Fearghail said that the Minister for Education reassured a local delegation on Tuesday that temporary accommodation would be provided for students in South Kildare in September 2022.
A statement from the Ceann Comhairle's office said:
"Kildare South Oireachtas members, facilitated by my office and chaired by myself, met this afternoon with the Minister for Education and representatives of schools and parents in the Kildare, Newbridge and Curragh areas.
"Under discussion with the minister was the delivery of the new school and the timeframe involved and critically, how students requiring places in September 2022 will be accommodated.
"At that meeting, the department officials assured all in attendance that when it could be firmly established exactly how many students required additional accommodation for September 2022, this accommodation would be made available by the department, in modular buildings if necessary following consultation with KWETB and other local schools.
"The Minister and the department guaranteed that no student in the area would be left without a school place in 2022.
"In addition to this, the very well attended meeting discussed issues around the Magee Barracks site, the need for transport and the question of Educate Together patronage."
Meanwhile, Dr Deirdre Keyes, Chief Executive of KWETB, welcomed the news that a site has been purchased by the Department of Education for a new state of the art post primary school facility for the mid/south Kildare Region.
She said she especially welcomes the confirmation that the school will accommodate up to 1,000 students and will have
four Special Education Needs (SEN) Units.
Dr Keyes added: "The new school will be a multidenominational, coeducational Community College.
"Curragh Post Primary will be a school for all and will provide parents and students with an exciting opportunity to avail of excellent educational opportunities in a contemporary holistic school setting.
"The school will operate under the patronage of Kildare and Wicklow ETB. The ETB will work in partnership with local schools and key partners."
In particular Dr Keyes said she looks forward to continued engagement with Educate Together as the school
develops.
Dr Keyes commended the work of local groups, public representatives, The Curragh Post Primary School, ETB and Department officials who have worked tirelessly over the last number of years lobbying for this much needed new school provision.