 Gaelscoil Cholmcille Background
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Opened September 1996. School is fully approved by Dept. of Education & Science. School is located in temporary accommodation in St. Kevin's Boys Football Club (Crestfield) - for which we are very grateful to them - but premises are totally unsuitable as a primary school - safety / fire hazards, cramped conditions, and cannot sustain a full primary cycle etc.
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Pupil numbers are 250+ with waiting lists for future years. We now have a full primary cycle; June 2004 will see 1st graduations with higher class numbers coming through next year.
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Dept of Education & Science has given commitment to us to purchasing a site for a new school building for us over 5 years ago yet failed to complete this commitment.
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Despite very poor conditions, Quality of education at the school is excellent. Parents by necessity, have a high level of involvement in the running of the school.
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There is a very active Site and Building committee (Coiste Suíomh) for over 5 years run by parents with professional advisors working as unpaid volunteers.
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Five sites were identified by the committee and proposed to the Dept. of Education and Science. Despite having financial approval for the purchase of a site on 3 separate occasions, and direct promises regarding land to be purchased by officials at the last elections, nothing was brought to fruition, the school is now facing critical accommodation needs for coming years.
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We found the Brenfer site 2 years ago; This Oscar Traynor Road (Santry Park) site is under the control of Dublin City Council. This is publicly owned land, which can be allocated to us with zero overall cost to the public purse. There is no real "commercial sensitivity" regarding the purchase of land by one public body (An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta) from another public body (Dublin City Council), and the 'dead rent' being paid to St. Kevin's would easily pay for a PPP school building project in this growing area which has many new residential developments.
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For over 2 years OPW have done their job in agreeing terms with Dublin City Council who have in turn done their job by including the school in the new Santry Park Master Plan. By the Dept. of Education not following through leaves a vast waste of public resources and parental effort.
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We understand that meetings are to take place again during May 2004 between Department of Education, OPW and Dublin City Council, at which critical decisions will be taken regarding the site for our school. Please use your influence to formally confirm this site purchase and keep us informed of developments, non-confirmation before the 19th May 04 will lead to a series of highly publicised Parent strikes and media events by exasperated parents & children at what is paramount to an abuse of the basic human rights of our children to a primary education in a safe environment.
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