Public Meeting re Accommodation; Minutes

7.30pm – 9.00pm 13th November 2019

Meeting was well attended by members of the BOM, staff, parents/carers, residents and public representatives.

Principal, Caítríona Ní Cheallaigh, welcomed all attendees, outlined the proceedings of the evening and gave a presentation of school accommodation history in regards to accommodation

Parent, Susan Henry, gave an outline of her children’s experience in Pelletstown ETNS from Junior Infants in a basement to being bussed to Broombridge while awaiting prefabs to the uncertainty of where our school community will be next September 2020.

Caitríona then gave an update as to our current situation and two options that are being discussed by the Department of Education currently.

Option A Stay on the current site

Option B Prefabs for 12 classes to be built on our new school site while construction works on our permanent building takes place also.

The latest comments by , , were noted which pushes out the date of completion from the original January 2020 to September 2021.

During a Q & A session the following people spoke raising their concerns, asked questions and provided suggestions; Chris Monks (parent), Neill Dougan (parent), Marie Sherlock (public representative), Melanie Casey (parent), Emer Currie (public representative), Roderic O’Gorman (public representative), Mary Jo Leatham (parent), Conor Quinn (parent), Ray Reneghan (parent/BOM member), Ruth Coppinger (public representative), Jack Chambers (public representative), (public representative), Avril Knowles (parent), Declan Meenagh (public representative), Harper Cleeves (resident), Leisha McDonald (resident), Paul Gibbons (parent), Daniel McGing (parent), Francis Nugent (parent), Ewan McDonald (parent), Thomas Mulcahy (resident), Carlos Teixeira (parent), Jeannette McDonald (parent/accomodation working group), Brett Hutson (parent), Aoife O’Sullivan (D7 Secondary School campaigner), Samantha Hogg (parent), Clement Guislain (future parent), Dayse Oliveira (parent), Colm O’Rourke (public representative), Preethi Vijayakumar, Christina Kelly (parent), Gian Luca Pengue (resident), Sharon Randhawa Keogh (parent), Eric Young (BOM member), Caitríona Ní Cheallaigh (principal) Some overall comments and suggestions were as follows;

• Huge outrage and disappointment at the neglect of forward planning by the Deparment of Education and the County Council for permitting huge developments without necessary facilities • Call for collaboration of all our efforts • Petition of public unhappy with current situation • Use of Media to gain much needed attention • Use of Social Media possibly by reinstating postcard campaign • A number of families chose Ireland because of the standard of Education and are shocked at the situation we are in • Concern that huge number of current pupils will never see a permanent building and will be in secondary school by the time one is built • Pressure needs to be put on DES to hold them accountable to latest information of Q1 going to tender Q2 construction to commence • Protest outside Dáil • More regular large public meetings to keep momentum • Request to meet the Minister for Education • Continue to ask Patron body to discuss our situation with Department of Education • Parents to seek help from 7 Secondary School campaign • List of emails could be sent to parents again • Keep school informed of any fast track planning applications • Call for appeals to be lodged upon planning application which will not help our situation (i.e. object to planning applications) • Protest Castlethorn at marketing suites/show houses • FOI query to cost of lease • Concern that rrefabs will not fit while construction is taking place on same site, so would the school be left in prefabs long-term • Complexities noted on new school site which could cause delays • Reduction in capital programme • Situations in different schools were discussed; St. Mochta’s, Gracepark ETNS, Castaheany ETNS, • Use general election to our advantage • €50 million given to construction works due to fire safety/neglect when building • Protest Permanent Works Office in Tullamore • Formally question the reason for delay • Stress and anxiety for students • If possibility of lease being extended, needs to be to September 2021 • Not enough play space at ground level for entire school already in plans so will not be realistic with prefabs • Concern new date of completion of September 2021 will go long into 2022

Caitríona thanked everyone for their time and suggestions. She asked if there are further suggestions to please email [email protected] for the Board of Management and Accommodation Working Group to consider. Eric urged everyone to work together collaboratively and to have a united approach.

“No matter where our children are be. While all this is going on in the back ground, there are people working really hard for your children every single day. We will continue to work hard. The type of school we are is going nowhere. We are going nowhere but we are going somewhere.”