A number of schools in Athlone and the town’s environs, at both primary and secondary level, have been included in a €30million package announced by the Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh TD, which will be afforded specialist improvements as part of the Summer Works Scheme.
St. Mary’s NS, Ardnagrath NS, An Ghrianan NS, Streamstown NS and Marist College, will benefit from the enhancement of education facilities with funds prioritised to upgrade and improve life safety systems (fire alarms and detection and emergency lighting ), money allocated for the resurfacing of play areas and car parks and schools being obliged to plan for electric vehicle charging.
Making the announcement, Minister McHugh, stated that a climate action initiative has been included in the Summer Works Scheme 2020 to ensure schools future proof for electric vehicles.
“Any school which receives funding for car parking and play areas will be required to identify a point for electric vehicle charging. The funding will allow for specialist electric ducting under play and car parking areas in order to ensure resurfaced areas are not dug up in the future.
“The climate action element of next year’s summer works is a sensible plan for the future. More and more electric charging points are coming on stream and it is symbolic that schools will be demonstrating how important initiatives like this are.
“The work will be carried out in schools mainly over the summer months, so the disruption to students, teachers and other staff will be kept to a minimum.
“We have also made sure that schools are getting the notification several weeks earlier than last year to try to give principals and boards of management a better lead-in time to plan and then get the work done,” Minister McHugh stressed.
