Slow progress made in meeting educational needs in West Wicklow

Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has welcomed progress that has been made in providing a new extension onto Blessington Community College in West Wicklow; he however said that the process needs to be fast-tracked to meet the educational needs of the area.

Teachta Brady said “The current situation with Blessington Community College is totally unacceptable. The school has been awaiting a badly needed extension now for a number of years. A large number of pupils are taught in prefabs, many of which aren’t fit for purpose. The educational needs of the area are also growing at a rapid pace, putting more pressure on the school.”

“I’ve had a number of meetings with the Kildare Wicklow Educational Training Board (KWETB) about Blessington Community College. The Schedule of Accommodation which lays out the needs of the school into the future have been signed off. The approval of a design team for the new extension is now awaited.”

“As this is a lengthy process the KWETB has agreed to replace some of the older prefabs that aren’t fit for purpose with new modern ones. They will also provide four additional classes to cater for the expanding needs of the school. A planning application to Wicklow County Council is to be made in the coming weeks for the new prefabs. An application to the Dept. of Education for funding to carry out essential works in the school is also to be made.”

Teachta Brady “Blessington Community College is a fantastic school with fantastic teachers; unfortunately the facilities aren’t to the level they should be. I welcome that action is now finally been taken to address the educational needs of Blessington. I however don’t believe that any child should be taught in a prefab, so the entire process needs to be fast-tracked. If not it could be another 3 years before the badly needed extension is finally delivered.”

Teachta Brady continued “I will continue to engage with the Department of Education and the KTETB to ensure this critical educational project is delivered for Blessington.” End