Funding approved for extension to ‘new’ city school

Funding has been approved for a ‘significant’ extension to the Presentation Secondary School in Galway City to accommodate its amalgamation with the Mercy Secondary School in September.

The approval in principle, for what is to be renamed Our Lady’s College, Galway, has been confirmed by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan in reply to a Parliamentary Question from Galway West Independent TD Noel Grealish.

The extension to the school off Presentation Road will include a science laboratory, business studies/commerce room, technology room with associated preparation areas and three interlinked standard classrooms.

The Minister said that the extension was expected to significantly enhance the accommodation available to the amalgamated school.

Deputy Grealish had also quizzed the Minister about the provision of an outdoor play area – recommended in an independent report into the proposed amalgamation of the two schools – and asked if two landscaped gardens in the ownership of the Presentation nuns would become part of the school, as a play area for the 500 pupils.

“A site extension to the existing site in question has been agreed under a lease agreement at a nominal rate and this arrangement will be reviewed in five years,” said Minister O’Sullivan.

“This site extension includes the gardens, referred to, and significantly enhances the school site in question.”

The Galway West TD pointed out that the provision of a PE hall was recommended in the report.

“There is no PE Hall on site and students have to use off-site PE facilities, which is totally inadequate,” he said.

“As the report states that there is room for expansion, who will foot the costs to construct a new PE Hall and to carry out further expansion of the school?

“There are no stage facilities, no properly equipped technology room or modern, fully-functional canteen in the Presentation in contrast to the Mercy which has all of these facilities.

“While accepting that the Presentation offers more scope for potential development, can you give a timeframe for when these will be provided at the Presentation School?” Deputy Grealish asked.

Minister O’Sullivan said her Department was aware that the amalgamated school would not have access to a PE hall.

“As the Deputy will appreciate, due to the competing demands on my Department’s capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise available funding for the provision of essential school classroom accommodation, it is not possible at this point to provide an indicative timeframe for the provision of funding towards a PE hall for the school concerned.

“However, I understand that the school concerned will continue to have access for PE purposes to a swimming pool, the rowing club and a local hall.”