€1 m Presentation School development is complete
A spectacular new refurbishment project, including the construction of a state-of-the-art new autism unit, has been completed at a top Mullingar primary school for girls.Works at the Presentation Senior School - home to 25 staff and 250 students from eight to thirteen years of age - have cost a total of â¬1 million, and as well as the autism unit, new heating, electrical, ICT and security services have been delivered.The 180 square metre unit caters to a total of six pupils with autism, and opened on September 1. The entire school was re-decorated, re-wired, re-insulated and kitted out with the best heating equipment, as well as a new reception area with CCTV.The school's ICT facilities have been upgraded, with laptops, projectors, photocopiers, printers and scanners bought in, and WiFi made available throughout the building.Rev. Fr. Padraig McMahon (Adm., Mullingar), chairperson of the Board of Management at Presentation Senior School, said:âWe applied for funding under all of the different Department of Education and Skills grant schemes.âWe availed of the emergency works scheme, the summer works scheme, the devolved building grant scheme, the energy efficiency grant scheme, the water conservation grant scheme and the ICT grant scheme.âAll of our applications were approved and, as a result, we have been able to transform our school. The only thing we had left to do was paint the interior of the building and the staff in Mullingar's ColorTrend store made that very easy for us.âThey designed the beautiful bright child friendly colour scheme and sponsored the paint for the assembly hall. The pupils, parents, staff and Board of Management are thrilled with the way it all turned out.âMichael Tunney, the school principal, said that during a competitive tender process, a number of local firms set out their stalls impressively to win contracts for the work.As a result, the â¬1 million drawn down from the Department went straight back into the local economy.Matt Conaty of Conaty Electrical, Collinstown, carried out the electrical upgrade, while Ballymore joiner Jimmy McKnight modified the building to accommodate the new reception area, and fitted built-in furniture to all the classrooms.The new autism unit was designed by Mullingar architect Pat Weafer, and built by Loughegar man Vincent Kenny, while Mullingar heating and plumbing contractor Bill Collentine won the heating contract, which was completed during the summer.Brendan Devenney, local painter and decorator, was awarded the painting contract and all paint products were supplied by the ColorTrend store in Mullingar.