Scoil Chaitlín Maude, Tallaght, demands a school building
June 11, 2013
For the last twenty-eight years, Scoil Chaitlín Maude has been successfully providing primary education through the medium of Irish for the community of Tallaght West. Despite this, Scoil Chaitlín Maude still does not have its own school building. The school has educated hundreds of children since it was established in 1985 in unsuitable accommodation. The school continues to grow and it cannot meet the demand for places resulting in a waiting list.
Scoil Chaitlín Maude has been accommodated on a site in Knockmore, Killinarden, Tallaght since 1990. The Department of Education led the school to believe in 1990 that this would be a temporary arrangement and that permanent accommodation would become available in Knockmore. This did not happen, however. As the school grew, temporary prefabricated accommodation was provided. This accommodation is now unsatisfactory and should be demolished due to its unsuitability and the health and safety risks associated with it.
In 2010, it became clear that there was no possibility of permanent accommodation on the site in Knockmore. The school has spent the last three years in on-going discussions with Department of Education and Skills and South Dublin County Council trying to identify a suitable site for the school in the Tallaght West area. All parties agree that permanent accommodation is essential, however, these talks have become protracted, with the result that we have now reached an accommodation crisis. The school may have no choice in September, but to rent classrooms at a location situated approximately 2km from Knockmore. The school would then be divided into three different locations leading to extreme hardship for all concerned.
Representatives from the school community will meet outside the offices of the Department of Education and Skills in Marlborough St at 14.30 on Wednesday, 12th June, to call on the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn TD to finally take responsibility for finding a permanent site for Scoil Chaitlín Maude after 28 years.
