Special debate with minister over delays in school works

LOCAL TD for Dublin Mid-West John Curran secured a special debate with Minister for Education Richard Bruton in the Dáil last week regarding the delays at progressing extension works at Lucan Community College.

Speaking in the Dáil John Curran called the Minister for Education to urgently move to deliver the much needed extension and refurbishment at Lucan Community College.

He said: “I have been contacted from concerned parents from Lucan Community School in relation to this matter and they are exhausted with the time and lack of progress and delay after delay with this project.

“Delivery and completion of the extension work at Lucan Community College is stuck and making no progress past the very early stage of Architectural Planning Process (Stage 2A)”.

Deputy Curran said that in April 2016, the then Minister indicated it was her intention and the Department’s intention that the project would go to construction by the end of 2016 but this did not happen.

He said that very little had happened since April 2016.

He added: “I am asking the Minister and the Department to take a proactive role to ensure this project is moved along swiftly.

The parents and teachers of this school are due an opening date which should be set out. Nothing can move to stage 2B until the Minister moves, so the ball is in the Minister’s and the Department’s court, yet Minister Bruton failed in this debate to give a date for approval to proceed to the next stage. I will continue to follow up on this matter.”