Welcome progress for Scoil Shinchill marred by years of delay and soaring costs

Independent TD Carol Nolan has said that while she warmly welcomes the progress that is being made with respect to the delivery of Special Education Needs classrooms and expanded accommodation for Scoil Shinchill, Killeigh; major questions remain for Government and the Department of Education regarding the ten years of planning delays and cost escalations that the school has had to endure.

Deputy Nolan had previously advocated for the school on a number of occasions with the former Ministers for Education and Youth, Norma Foley and Helen McEntee:

“I am always delighted to see any of our schools receive approval for expanded accommodation, particularly in instances such as this where Scoil Shinchill have been valiantly battling away with planning, design, and endless tender processes for the last decade,” said Deputy Nolan.

“However, I am also aware from my engagement with the school that these delays have led to costs escalating from €1.5 million to nearly €4 million. As I understand it, this does not account for the considerable amounts already spent on the project to date.”

This is a major issue for all schools involved in the planning application process with the Department and one that I am constantly highlighting. The schools receive ‘approval’ but they then remain mired in endless, time consuming and costly processes. We urgently need to improve this situation to ensure that schools such as Scoil Shinchill do not have to repeatedly make the case for vital provision of expanded accommodation and additional classrooms”, Deputy Nolan concluded.