The Minister for Education visited Mulroy College today where she heard of the ‘urgent’ need for significant improvements to the school’s buildings and facilities.
Ms Fiona Temple, Principal, said Minister Hildegarde Naughton received a warm welcome from students, staff and members of the senior management team.
“It is very encouraging for us as a school community to welcome Minister Naughton to Mulroy College and to provide her with an opportunity to see first-hand the challenges we Face,” she said.
“As a school, we pride ourselves on maintaining very high standards in education. However, we continue to operate in a building that is no longer fit for purpose and remain significantly under-resourced. Our roof has been leaking on a daily basis for over two decades, our classrooms are grossly undersized, and our ASD and SEN facilities fall far short of the requirements set out by the Department of Education and Youth.”
Ms Temple said they are hopeful the minister’s visit will help to progress the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) project approved in 2019 and bring clarity on the long-awaited decision regarding either major repair works or full replacement of their roof.
These conditions, she added, are not only unsuitable for effective teaching and learning, but also raise significant concerns in relation to health and safety, student dignity, and the delivery of inclusive education, particularly for students in ASD provision.
The school received approval for an ASA (Additional School Accommodation) in 2019, but to date progress has been slow.
“The school would like a final decision on what repairwork or replacement roof approval is being granted and a final decision on what plans can be progressed for the ASA build. The school has an immediate need for this accommodation.”
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In order to continue providing the highest quality teaching and learning to the school community, Ms Temple and the Board of Management of Mulroy College are calling on the Department of Education for swift decisions and immediate action. She also acknowledged the great support from Donegal ETB on their continued work to progress this project.
Martin Gormley, Director of Schools with Donegal ETB, stated: “The priority now is for the Department of Education and Youth to provide clear and timely decisions in relation to both the roof project and the Additional School Accommodation scheme. The school community of Mulroy College has waited patiently for many years and there is now an urgent need to move to the next stage of delivery so that students and staff can be provided with safe, high quality and appropriate learning facilities.”