Delay on new school for Roscrea is 'very worrying'

A new build Secondary School capable of catering for 800 students and estimated to cost in the region of €10-million will be built in Roscrea it was announced in 2021, yet four years later no further progress has been made a Tipperary TD said in the Dáil this week.

Labour Tipperary TD, Alan Kelly announced the good news for Roscrea in 2021 during the heigjht of the pandemic and expressed in the Dáil the disappointment of people in Roscrea that a considerable length of time has passed without any update.  

"Four years after it was communicated to Tipperary ETB that a new school was sanctioned for Colaiste Phobail in Roscrea, I can report very little progress has been made. This announcement in 2021 was a great day for the school after a six year process but that momentum seems to be gone now", he said.

Deputy Kelly explained the school project is at stage 2a, which is the detailed design stage and the Department of Education cannot even say when the project will commence or be completed. 

"This is very worrying. Students have gone through the school without ever benefiting from a new school which is so badly needed", he said and pledged to "double down now on my efforts to deliver this for the people of Roscrea and surrounds". 

"But this Government seems to be dragging their heels when it comes to Roscrea once again", Deputy Kelly added.

Raising the issue in the Dáil, Deputy Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a school building will begin in Roscrea and when the overall project will move to the next stage in the capital development plan.

The Department's response said the Stage 2a report has recently been submitted to the Department and is currently under review.

Once the Stage 2a review is complete and approved, the next step for the Design Team will be to obtain the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents. When these are in place, the project can proceed onwards to tender and construction in due course.

The Department said that because the project is still at an early stage in the delivery process, it is not possible at this time to give a date for its completion.

However, Tipperary ETB as the delivery body, will continue to engage directly with the school authority to keep it fully informed of progress.

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"The Department is committed to ensuring appropriate accommodation is available for all pupils in Colaiste Phobail and will in the wider context outlined, ensure that this project - as for all projects on our school building programme - is subject to the due diligence required under the public Infrastructure Guidelines", the response stated.

In June of 2022  the design team tasked with designing the new school met on site. The design team, comprising of representatives from MCOH Architects, KSN Project Management, Nolan Construction Consultants, Downes Associates, Semple and McKillop, Reddy Architecture and Urbanisation and KSN Project Management, met with school management team Jack Flynn and Ciara Ormand, as well as Breda Cuneen, Head of Capital Buildings, Tipperary Education and Training Board.

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The new school will be built on the site of Coláiste Phobal to cater for 800 students and will include four ASD Autism Classes, bringing the total complement of students to 824. Part of the current school building will be preserved and will become an adult education centre.

Speaking to the Tribune in May of  2021, Deputy Kelly said  almost 1,000 people are on the Coláiste Phobal site everyday and that after pursuing the need for a new building for a prolonged period, he felt the Department were reluctant then to provide some clarity about their plans for what is one of Tipperary's largest secondary schools.