Councillor Shirley O’Hara expressed frustration with the Department of Education’s school building unit after attending the public information meeting hosted by Newcastle parents in St Finian’s Community Hall recently.
Cllr O’Hara said “There is unanimity across all public representatives, be they TDs or Cllrs and of all parties or none that Newcastle needs a secondary school. The Department is simply not listening to the people on the ground. Our community wants, and in my view, should have, a secondary school in Newcastle. The department needs to put its cards on the table and show us the stats it is working off. In the meantime, the community has been working hard to gather evidence on the local educational needs, and this has to be taken into account.
There is a need for substantial reform of the Department’s School Building Unit. As the Taoiseach outlined in his proposal for a new Department of Infrastructure, outdated public service agencies like the Department of Education’s Building Unit no longer can deliver to school campuses in a timely manner or in the right place. They need total replacement with an agency led by people who know what they are doing.
I proposed that all politicians and parties support the local community by joint submitting the excellent research undertaken by parents in Newcastle and this be submitted by all 7 councillors and 4 TDs jointly to the Minister for Education and that they demand a meeting with the head of her Department’s School Building Unit. This tactic was successful elsewhere and we need to copy it in Newcastle”.
Cllr O’Hara concluded “What is happening in Newcastle proves the need for a total overhaul in the system and process for delivering school buildings. Fine Gael, if returned to government will establish a Department of Infrastructure. In the interim, while we are stuck with the old system all politicians need to form a united front to tackle the school building unit and not allow them to play games with the future of Newcastle children’s secondary education”.
