Funding for St Paul’s redevelopment must be confirmed

LABOUR Party councillor Joe Leddin has called on Education Minister Richard Bruton to confirm a €4.8 million funding package to secure plans for the future of St Paul’s Primary School in Dooradoyle.

Speaking to the Limerick Post last week, Cllr Leddin explained, “I have met many parents who have raised the problems faced by St Paul’s board of management in recent years in trying to facilitate the growing demand for school places with over 600 children now enrolled in the school.

“The huge demand and growth in places has placed considerable pressure on management and staff to provide the best of facilities and learning opportunities in a building that was simply not suitable.”

He said he was especially pleased when his Labour colleague and Limerick TD Jan O’Sullivan was appointed Minister for Education and Skills in 2014.

“I immediately began the process of ensuring that St Paul’s received priority in the school building programme. Once the necessary design phase and planning was achieved for eight new classrooms and an upgrading of the existing building, St Paul’s School was listed by Minister O’Sullivan as a major project within the Department of Education buildings unit.”

He deemed it “extremely frustrating” now at this late stage, especially for the school management, staff and parents, that despite the huge effort made by the school community uncertainty remains regarding the funding to enable works proceed to tender.

“I have also had a number of discussions with the school management and council officials regarding temporary traffic arrangements to facilitate the relocation of the school into the former Scoil Carmel site in O’Connell Avenue as I understood there was no issue or question with the funding for this project.

I am now appealing to Minister Bruton to honour the commitment given by his predecessor and allocate the budget required so that works can begin and the school community can look forward to providing enhanced learning facilities to those children attending St Paul’s,” Cllr Leddin concluded.

by Alan Jacques

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