Three new schools for Cork
November 29, 2013
TWO of Cork’s biggest boom towns will get three new secondary schools by 2016 — with two schools planned for Carrigaline and one for Midleton/Carrigtwohill.
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has just confirmed patronage for the schools, which will cater for 1,200 students in Carrigaline and 1,000 students in the Midleton/Carrigtwohill area. Rapid population growth in these towns during the boom period has left the existing school structures creaking at the seams.
Carrigaline is to get a 600-student “Catholic school” modelled along the ethos of the historic Christian Brothers College in thecity, but it will be a non-fee paying and co-educational. The satellite town will also get a new multi-denominational Educate Together school, catering for a further 600 students.
These school developments will be entirely separate to an existing plan in Carrigaline for a 24-classroom Gaelscoil, a 500-pupil Gaelcholáiste and a seven classroom Sonas Special School. In the Midleton area, the Cork Education and Training Board, along with the Bishop of Cloyne, will oversee a new 1,000-student secondary school.
Minister Simon Coveney said the discussion now would be on the selection of sites.
“We hope to see this process fast tracked as quickly as possible. This is a real investment in education but also an investment in choice and diversity in education.”
Minister for State in the Department of Education and Skills, Seán Sherlock, said:
“These are schools that have been requested by the parents of the area, and the Department is responding to the needs and demands of the parents.”
“I look forward to the next step in the process, which includes securing specific sites.”
East Cork TD David Stanton welcomed the new schools for the Midleton area, saying:
“There has been significant population growth in the Midleton/Carrigtohill area in recent years, meaning this new school is badly needed. It will provide a high quality and modern education setting for thousands of teenagers in the years ahead.”
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