Deadline for submissions to OPW for Oranmore Gaelscoil looms

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Written by Brenda Carney

Wednesday, 14 February 2007

The deadline for four local landowners in Oranmore to submit proposals to the Office of Public Works regarding the purchase of a site for Gaelscoil de hIde is tomorrow.

This follows on from an announcement made by Minister Mary Hanafin in November 2006 that the school had gotten the go-ahead to start the architectural planning for a new school but the process cannot start until a site is acquired.

According to a spokesperson from The Parents' Action Group at Gaelscoil de hIde, "A school building is urgently required for the school. We now have 170 pupils, all housed in temporary accommodation (mostly pre-fabs) on a 0.5-acre site. Rental of the present accommodation costs in excess of ?125,000 per annum. There is no indoor area for recreation and the outside space is totally inadequate."

Gaelscoil de hIde was established in 1994, granted permanent status in 1998 and now faces the prospect of entering a second decade in temporary accommodation unless a building is provided soon, he said.

"In addition to the current housing being inadequate, future enrolment projects indicate that pupil numbers are set to increase steeply in the coming years and we fear we will have to turn away children next September unless the accommodation crisis is resolved."

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