BY MICHAEL TRACEY
EDUCATION minister Batt O’Keeffe met Monsignor John Byrne last week, heightening expectations that a significant decision on the primary school situation in Portlaoise will be made shortly.
Monsignor Byrne and county manager Peter Carey travelled to Dublin to meet the minister last Wednesday.
Following the meeting, held behind closed doors, Monsignor Byrne was cautiously optimistic. He said: “We are expecting an announcement and hopefully there will be some movement on the project.”
In July, Monsignor Byrne’s proposal to fund the building of two new schools at Summerhill through a parish loan to be repaid by the government over 15 years was turned down. It would have seen the amalgamation of St Paul’s Primary School, Sacred Heart and Scoil Mhuire.
Monsignor Byrne said the school amalgamation was still very much part of the department’s plans, but the issue was how it would be delivered.
“Naturally, we want it tomorrow, but it’s up to the department, who have to provide an appropriate timescale for themselves,” he said. Minister O’Keeffe, speaking in Abbeyleix last week, said he continued to monitor the Portlaoise schools issue, as the town was a “developing area”.
Minister O’Keeffe will announce the next batch of capital spending in January, with a total budget of €794 million to be spent in 2010. Minister O’Keeffe said certain Laois schools awaiting new facilities would certainly see their applications make progress.
The principals of two Ballyroan schools, along with members of the board of management and cllr Mary Sweeney also met Minister O’Keeffe on Wednesday to discuss issues around the proposed amalgamation of schools in Ballyroan.