Minister forced into U-turn over Ardee ETNS
5 April 2024
The Minister for Education has been forced into making a dramatic u-turn on her recent decision to pause 58 school building projects around the country, including a new building for Ardee Educate Together Naional School, a Louth Labour TD has said.
Deputy Ged Nash TD explained: “Builders were poised to be on site at Ardee Educate Together National School the week after St Patrick’s Day but with just days to go, the school was told that the project had been paused.
“The move shocked the school authorities and the wider school community and I took up their case in the Dáil and in the media, urging the Minister for Education to reverse the decision.
“That ultimately led to a Labour motion in the Dáil last week where party leader, Ivana Bacik called on the government to progress the 58 paused projects, this year.
“Now, just a few days after that motion and less than a month since the decision was taken to pause these vital projects, the government has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown.”
The Minister for Education, Norma Foley has announced that the pause imposed on 58 school building projects, including at Ardee ETNS, can now be lifted following discussions with Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe.
Reacting to the news, Deputy Nash said: “I’m hugely relieved the Minister, her department and this government have come to their collective senses and pushed the play button on these vital projects, which should never have been paused in the first place.
“Valuable time has been lost but the priority for the Department of Education must now be to undo the damage that has been done and get these projects restarted as soon as possible.”
The Louth Labour TD added: “The hard-working staff and children at Ardee Educate Together National School now need to be given certainty over the project’s future. We need firm timelines for the delivery of this project and an absolute commitment from the Minister to see this project through to completion.”
Deputy Nash said: “This school community has been treated appallingly by this government. It has been left in limbo for the last month, not knowing what kind of future it faces and continuing to manage the education of over 200 children on two sides of a busy road in a mish-mash of buildings that are barely fit for purpose.
“I hope now they can plan for the future with some degree of hope and optimism and I will do all I can to ensure this new commitment is followed through on, this time.”
Deputy Nash concluded: “An element of trust between the school community and the Department of Education has been broken here and only action on the ground will see that repaired. I want to see this project breaking ground at the earliest possible opportunity and I will continue to push for the delivery and completion of this vitally important new school building for Ardee.
ENDS