Fine Gael TD, for Kildare North, Anthony Lawlor warmly welcomes the announcement this morning (Monday 12th March) that 10 schools in the constituency are to be included in a €1.5 billion Five Year Building Programme announced by Minister Ruairí Quinn.
“Before 2016, six new schools will be built in Kildare North, two primary – St. Davids’ NS, Piper’s Hill Naas & Scoil Naomh Padraig, Celbridge – and four post primary – two for Maynooth, one for Naas & one for Celbridge. Four primary schools will also benefit from the programme through extensions – St. Joseph’s Boys NS, Kilcock, St. Patrick’s Boys NS, Clane, Scoil Naisiunta Bhride, Clane and North Kildare Educate Together, Celbridge. These new schools and extensions will ease the overcrowding situation in many schools throughout the constituency and will be welcomed by pupils, teacher and parents alike.”
From a national perspective, this major schools capital investment will provide approximately 15,000 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs over the next five years. Of the 275 major projects included in the programme, 106 new schools at primary level and 43 new schools at second level will be built before end of 2016. Bearing in mind that between now and 2017 the Department of Education is expecting approximately 45,000 extra pupils in our primary and 25,000 extra pupils in post primary schools there is now an urgency in providing extra accommodation in our schools.
“This major announcement today comes on the back of the recent commitment by the Department of Education to provide €35 million to deal with temporary prefab accommodation in so many of our schools. These announcements not only reflect the Programme for Government commitment to prioritise school building project, but they also create much needed jobs. I am delighted that the schools, students and construction industry of Kildare North are to benefit from their inclusion in such large scale investments” concluded Anthony Lawlor TD.