With the Department of Education seeking to identify a site on the east side of the city for a new secondary school, now is the time for City Hall to play it's part in marking such a school a reality.
This is the view of Social Democrats Galway City East councillor, Owen Hanley, who said the development of a new secondary school must be part of the Galway City Council's planned review of the City Development Plan, due to take place next year.
"The City Development Plan is the chief planning document on a local level," said Cllr Hanley. "During this process the opportunity to support a new secondary school on the east side should be realised."
Population increase
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The majority of secondary schools in Galway city are located east of the Corrib, with only the new Educate Together Secondary School and Galway Community College located in the east. Cllr Hanley said the need for a new secondary school is made more urgent when projected population growth figures for the city are examined.
"When you look at the projected increase in population of nearly 40,000 across the city over the next 20 years, we have to get ahead of providing this basic infrastructure," he said. "The east side is currently awaiting a permanent primary school in Renmore on top of the needed permanent secondary school building. Communities in the east should not be overlooked before we move on to build new ones."
Not enough progress on Ardaun
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The Department of Education recently made a submission to the city council stating that the current lands zoned for a permanent secondary school in the Ardaun area is premature, as it feels not enough progress has been made with Ardaun to date.
However, the Department is carrying out a site identification exercise across the eastside for a suitable site for a new secondary school, and is examining lands not zoned Community, Cultural, and Institutional.
Cllr Hanley pointed out though, that it would be "very regrettable" if the Department had to purchase land zoned residential for example, because the cost of doing so "would come at a premium to the Department and ultimately to the taxpayer".
