Deputy Willie Penrose has described the revelation that the new building for Athlone Community College is unlikely to be completed until the end of 2012, at the earliest, as “disappointing”.
Addressing Minister for Education, Batt O'Keeffe, in the Dail last week, Deputy Penrose wanted to know what the timeframe for the completion of the new post-primary school building would be.
“I put a question on this matter to the Minister for Education last week, and was told that the ‘indicative timeframe’ for the delivery of a Public Private Partnership school currently stands at approximately four years from the date the bundle is announced. Since this bundle was announced in December 2008, this means that we are unlikely to see a completed building anytime before 2013,” said Deputy Penrose.
While welcoming the fact that some progress had been made, the Labour TD said he was disappointed that a more detailed timetable for construction of the building could not be given.
“Any further delay would be unacceptable. It’s not as if this is a mushroom-type project, of which the Minister and his Department has only recently become aware. On the contrary, the Minister and his Department officials are fully conversant with this important project for Athlone. A detailed feasibility study was carried out on it as far back as 2002 and 2003,” he said.
“Athlone Community College was constructed in the 1970s, backed by funding from the World Bank. The building clearly had a limited lifespan which has now been greatly exceeded. The rationale for putting in place a new school has been clearly proven and all that is required is to ensure the old building is replaced immediately.
“No ifs or buts - replacement with a top-class building capable of catering for 1,000 pupils is immediately needed.”
