CITY west councillor Daniel Butler says he is hopeful that the ongoing campaign for a new secondary school in Mungret will become a reality.
The Department of Education is currently conducting a report to establish the need for a new school serving Raheen, Dooradoyle and Mungret.
Cllr Butler says he is certain that this report, due to be published at the end of the summer, will confirm the need for a new secondary school in the area.
“It is certain this report will confirm the need for a local school and it will also outline expressions of interest in terms of the patronage of that school,” he said.
“Once the report is published, which is expected at the end of the summer the next step is to write to all parents through the local primaries asking them to decide on the patronage of the school. The two expressions of interest at this stage are likely to be the ETB (Education and Training Board) and Limerick Educate Together School (LETS) from what I am hearing,” continued Cllr Butler.
‘Following on from this process we will be looking at a period of three to five years to completion and at this stage I am very hopeful that this will indeed become a reality. I have every confidence that Minister Jan O’Sullivan knows the need is there and it is a matter of priority and I hope to see her soon announcing its official approval.”
Recent developments at Mungret College will include two primary schools relocating there – Gaelscoil Raithin and the Educate Together primary school.
There has also been land allocated as part of the site’s masterplan for a secondary school.
“We as councillors have supported the allocation of this land for a secondary school to remove any possible barriers and to expedite the process,” said the Fine Gael councillor.
Cllr Butler added: “’The area has a young population with a lot of young families like my own. I hear so much concern about the need for a secondary school for the area. We have a fantastic secondary in the area in the Crescent College Comprehensive, which I attended myself, but they have limited capacity.”
