Receives confirmation that additional classroom accommodation is being planned for Clarin College Athenry.
I have received confirmation from the Minister for Education that the Department of Education are advancing additional accommodation for Clarin College Athenry to accommodate the additional demand for school places for the academic year 2025.
The accommodation will consist of additional modular classrooms and will need to be in place by End of August 2025. I am urging the Department to expedite the process to ensue students and parent are not disappointed next August.
“Presently the department are arranging a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the Department and GRETB. Once the SLA is in place, the ETB will procure a design team for the project to design the buildings, obtain the necessary statutory planning permissions, and move the project onward to tender and construction in due course.
I am assured by the Minister that her department are aware of enrolment pressures in the school planning area at present and are currently engaging directly with the patron regarding interim accommodation needs which are required to be in place for the 25/26 academic year.
I have also received confirmation that the Department are working on the delivery of a permanent extension to the College which is beyond full capacity and needs additional accommodation to meet the demand.
I will continue to keep the pressure on the Department as children cannot be without a school place next August.”