Minister of Education Richard Bruton was a welcome visitor to Oranmore last week when he unveiled the €17 million investment in Galway schools.
He visited Oranmore last Friday September 22, at the invitation of Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, where he presided at the launching of over €2.5 million of educational investment in the town.
He also visited Merlin Woods Primary School, Doughiska , where the Minister oversaw ceremonies celebrating the award to the school of the “yellow flag”, which acknowledges the school’s commitment to inclusion and diversity.
Earlier in the day, the Minister officially opened Coláiste na Coiribe, Knocknacarra. This is a €12.5 million investment in one of the largest Irish-medium post-primary schools in the country with a capacity for 720 pupils. The development is approximately 7400sqm comprising three and two-storey teaching blocks, a sports hall, together with a new grassed playing pitch located to the West of the new school .
During his visit to Oranmore, Minister Bruton officially turned the sod for the new development at Scoil Mhuire NS . This is the first phase of a major project for this school which will provide for seven mainstream classrooms plus an ASD Unit. The cost of phase 1 of this project will be in the region of €1.5 million. Over 400 students are enrolled at the school with 21 nationalities represented. In 2015 the school established a pre-school and set up a special class for students with ASD.
The Minister also officially opened a permanent extension to Scoil Íosaif Naofa, Oranmore. This extension was completed in 2016 to provide 4 mainstream classrooms (replacing prefabs ), three Special Education Teacher and a one classroom ASD Unit. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery and the Department provided funding in the region of €1 million.
“Together with the other schools visited by the Minister last Friday, these school projects amount to over €17 million total investment and will benefit approximately 2,100 pupils in Galway. This is a very significant investment in education in the local region,” stated Deputy Naughton.
“Oranmore and surrounding areas have seen decades of underinvestment during previous Governments. This Government has set the ambition to make Ireland’s Education service the best in Europe within a decade and ensuring our children are educated in world class facilities. We are investing hundreds of millions every year under our various school building programs to provide new schools and extensions to benefit thousands of students across the country. ” she added.
“The Oranmore areas, has already seen the benefits of increased investment in education with state of the art facilities in two news schools; Maree National School and Gaelscoil De hÍde. I am confident that we will continue to see further investment in Oranmore and that there are exciting times ahead for the area.”
