Local TD Deirdre Clune has welcomed news that Cork County Council and the Dioceses of Cork & Ross have finalised ownership of the site of the new school. The Fine Gael TD will raise the issue in the Dáil and ask the Minister for Education, Batt O’Keeffe, to proceed with building the school as soon as possible.

The ownership of the site had remained a contentious issue for the last number of years while the Department of Education attempted to purchase the necessary land from three different owners. The matter was resolved when the Bishop of Cork & Ross agreed to purchase the plots necessary on receipt of a guarantee from the Department in relation to the proposed building project.

The staff of the school, local parents, the County Council and the Dioceses of Cork & Ross have all done their part to make this school a reality. All we now need is for the Minister and his Department to fulfil the promises that have been made to parents, pupils and teachers and the guarantee that was given to Cork County Council and the Bishop of Cork & Ross and finally build a new primary school for Ballygarvan.

I will be raising this matter in the in the Dáil with the Minister for Education & Science at the first available opportunity. I understand that we are facing unprecedented economic problems but I will ask the Minister to consider:
· how much his Department has saved by not having to purchase the site,
· the €84,132 a year it will save by not continuing to rent the 6 prefabs at an average of €14,022 each
· the increasing number of young children in the Ballygarvan area that will need school accommodation in the years to come.

The Minister must now make sure that this week’s positive news is followed up by positive action and a primary school is built in Ballygarvan without delay.