Gaelscoil site finally secured for a permanent building
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A SITE has been secured and purchased by the Department of Education for the construction of a new, permanent school building for Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna in Knocklyon, which has been housed in prefabs for the past 21 years.
Pupils, parents and teachers from the school have long campaigned for the construction of a permanent building for the school, which has 245 pupils whose classrooms are housed in 16 prefabs.
The entrance to Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna in Knocklyon
Last October pupils, teachers and parents from the school gathered outside the Dáil with placards urging the government to build a permanent building for the school, and a meeting was held by the school community last April calling on the government to construct a building for the school.
It was confirmed that the Department of Education had cleared the legal processes required to secure the site where the school is currently located, and they have completed their purchase of the land with plans to develop a permanent building on site.
Sharon Walsh, co-chair of the school’s parents’ committee and part of the Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna New School Committee, told The Echo: “It’s great news for the teachers, staff and kids who’ve worked so hard for this and pushed it along so far.
“It’s fantastic news, and I want to give a big thank you to the local TDs and councillors who supported and helped us. It’s a huge step forward.”
The project will be delivered through the Department of Education’s ‘Design and Build’ approach, and a spokesperson for the Department of Education told The Echo last April that the school is on the department’s Six Year Capital Programme.
Ms Walsh added: “It’s a fantastic school. The staff are amazing and they deserve to have a nice building to be proud of.”
Another step forward
Katherine Zappone, the local Independent TD and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, said: “After over two decades we have taken another step forward to ensure that Gaelscoil Knocklyon will have a permanent building.
“I have been in close contact with my colleague the Minister for Education, Richard Bruton, to bring us to this point.
“It is important that momentum is maintained so that the children studying in Knocklyon will have safe, comfortable and secure classrooms and other facilities.
“This campaign has been a long-running one, but those involved have never lost hope and remained focused throughout on securing their goal.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Education told The Echo: “The planning application for the new school building is being finalised and is expected to be ready to lodge in September.
“When planning permission is secured the project will then proceed to tender.”
