Mayor of South Dublin Ed O’Brien has called on the Department of Education to ensure that steps are taken immediately to ensure that building work commences on Griffeen Community College. Mayor O’Brien was speaking after receiving confirmation that the installation of prefabricated buildings which were due to be commenced in mid-June would now be commenced before the end of the month. He commented;
“The situation in Griffeen Community College is one which is causing great ongoing distress to the parents of pupils enrolled in the school. There needs to be a definitive answer to when a proper permanent build will be commenced. Earlier in the year there was speculation about the location being moved to Kingswood which understandably shocked parents and now with only a couple of weeks to go to school opening, they are witnessing a standstill on site which must be addressed.”
Mayor O’Brien welcomed clarification from the DDLETB that the works to install prefabricated buildings would happen before the end of the month but insisted that progress must be kept up so that the entire school can be housed under one roof.
“As a board member on the DDLETB I was glad to be able to raise the matter at our most recent meeting and I welcome the positive response from management, however the next steps in securing the site and building the permanent buildings cannot wait. This must progress immediately, and I have made contact with the Minister for Educations office to emphasise this and ask her to prioritise the matter.”
Finally, Mayor O’Brien commented that incoming students could no longer be expected to be taken in by other schools and urged the new Minister to ensure this does not happen.
“The extra students coming on stream over the next couple of years cannot be accommodated anywhere else. The lack of investment in schools in Lucan over the last 10 years is now taking its toll and they are all at capacity. The ongoing wait for improvements at St Joseph’s College and Lucan Community College are the proof of that. They are now in substandard conditions due to ongoing funding delays and it is high time the Department took a realistic look at its budget and recognised that money needs to be spent in Lucan to ensure the welfare of students in the area.”
