Five local schools to benefit from summer works

Five schools in the Athlone area have been approved for works under the Summer Works Scheme. The funding was announced by Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn this week. Ten schools in Westmeath, two secondary and eight primary, are to receive funding for essential and necessary infrastructural works under the second phase of the scheme. In Athlone, Marist College and St Hilda’s Special School are to benefit from improvements to roofing. Roof upgrades will also be carried out at Streamstown Mixed NS, Boher NS, and Eoin Naofa NS, Ballymore. Some 386 schools across the country are to benefit from total funding of almost €35 million under the second round of the Summer Works Scheme 2014. Welcoming the announcement of the funding, Deputy Willie Penrose complimented Minister Quinn for restoring the Summer Works Scheme. “These schools have been approved for the works they applied for - some of them to carry out very important roof repairs and refurbishment, and others for the provision of toilet facilities. It is vital for many of these schools that the works are given the go-ahead, and of course the necessary funding to enable them to proceed. “It was extremely important that this scheme was restored, and Minister Quinn is to be complimented in this regard. These works can be carried out over the holiday period, and hopefully a lot of this will provide gainful employment for local sub-contractors and other workers who have the necessary skills and competence to complete these contracts,” said Deputy Penrose.