Funding secured for expansion of St Finian's and new home for St Mary's Special School

Funding has been approved for the expansion of St Finian's College and the delivery of a new home for St Mary's Special School, Delvin in Mullingar.

The projects were two of 58 school builds that had been paused due to what Minister for Education Norma Foley describes as “funding pressures” brought on by the rise in the cost of building materials.

In a statement issued a short time ago, Minister Foley confirmed that funding has been secured that will allow all 58 builds to proceed to the tender and construction phases.

“These projects will provide new and modernised facilities for our school communities and are an important aspect of the department’s overall delivery under the Government’s National Development Plan.

“I would like to thank my cabinet colleague, Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, who worked tirelessly with me and my department officials in order to facilitate the delivery of these urgently required school building projects.”

The news has also been welcomed by Deputy Robert Troy.

“I am very pleased to have received from confirmation from Minister Foley that the projects are to proceed. I have worked very carefully with the school authorities at both St Finian's and St Mary's over the last number of years and I got the minister down for a visit to both schools last March.

“I know the schools have worked very hard to make sure these projects go ahead and I was very happy to be in a position to be able to bring her down to meet them.

“I know that both schools will very much welcome this news. St Mary's Special School is in critical need of a new home. While the staff there provide an exceptional service, their current home is not fit for purpose anymore.

“Their new home, which will be next to St Finian's, will be a state of the art campus for people with additional needs.

“As a past pupil of St Finian's I know the quality of the education provided in there by staff. It has expanded so much over the past two decades since it became a co-ed school. The construction of the new buildings and renovation of the existing main school is much needed. It's great to see.”

According to the planning application given the green light by Westmeath County Council last year, the multi-million euro project at St Finian's will include the upgrading and refurbishment of the main school building, which is a protected structure, and the construction of a two-storey western extension to the main school building, with a new entrance point at lower ground floor level, as well as the upgrading and refurbishment of the gymnasium and the construction of a new changing building.

There are also plans to construct a new two-storey building to the north to accommodate technology classrooms and science laboratories, and a new three-storey building to the east to accommodate art classrooms.

The planning notice also includes details for the demolition of the exiting single-storey western entrance and associated classrooms, the existing single-storey classroom block and the two-storey ancillary accommodation wing at the rear of the main school building, the existing maintenance sheds, two-storey changing building and the single-storey WC block.

The new home for St Mary's will include a single-storey eight-classroom building, which will incorporate associated teaching and clinical spaces, a general purpose/dining hall, a library and staff room, as well as solar panels at roof level.

The development will also include play and kick-about areas, covered outdoor seating, dining and teaching spaces, a new vehicular access point from the Longford Road and 32 car parking spaces.