Funding approved for Nenagh school
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Minister Norma Foley talking to the Active School students in St Mary’s Primary School last Friday. PHOTOS: ODHRAN DUCIE Odhran DucieImage 2 of 2
Deputy Alan Kelly, Mary Rose Cleary (Assistant Principal), Minister Norma Foley, Peadar O’Dwyer (Principal), Bríd Girard (Deputy Principal) and Sinead Fahey (teacher) pictured as Minister Foley received a warm welcome to St Mary’s. Odhran DucieThe Department of Education has approved increased funding for the development of new classrooms, including ASD special classrooms, at St Mary's Primary School in Nenagh.
The announcement coincided with the recent visit to Nenagh by Minister for Education Norma Foley. It will allow the school to proceed with a planned reconfiguration of five existing classrooms as four mainstream and two autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) special classrooms.
“This great news now means that our building development will proceed,” said Principal Peadar O'Dwyer. “This is brilliant news, particularly for families in Nenagh with children that need ASD education. These rooms will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the children to support their needs.”
Mr O'Dwyer had previously expressed concern about the project being under-funded. It was originally approved by the Department of Education in 2018 but spiralling inflation in the meantime meant the funding was insufficient to deliver the project.
Last autumn the principal circulated a letter to parents and guardians, asking them to lobby local TDs towards progressing the Nenagh school project at Government level. Mr O'Dwyer outlined how the school had two ASD classes operating in unsuitable accommodation with no play area for the pupils. Three special education needs teachers for mainstream pupils were working from the school hall, meaning there was no indoor play/assembly space or meeting area for parents and staff.
MINISTER'S VISIT
Minister Foley has confirmed that her department will meet the costs of the project. On her visit to Nenagh last Friday week - during which she also visited the Community National School, CBS, Gaelscoil and St Mary’s No 2 NS - the minister met with Mr O'Dwyer and took a tour of St Mary's. She met with the Student Council, Active School and Green School representatives, and the winners of last year's national Our World Irish Aid Awards.
Minister Foley enjoyed a song from pupils of Ms Mary Ryan's Third Class, who attended the Peace Proms at University of Limerick last week. She also met with the boys and girls in Junior Infants, the first mainstream co-ed classes in the school since St Mary's recent transition to co-education.