Concern as three 'vital' school projects in Kilkenny stalled

Three Kilkenny schools have been hit by news that government have placed their plans, due to proceed to tender and construction stage, on hold.

In Kilkenny, the 'Nore Project' schools (Presentation Secondary School, CBS Kilkenny and St Canice's Co-Ed) have been impacted.

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In recent days, discussions have been taking place between the Department of Education and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in a bid to secure the additional funding that will allow the projects to proceed.

Principal of St Canice's Co-Ed, Andy Hanrahan, stated that the school 'were given no further information on how long this the delay in construction will be'.

"The news is very disappointing for students and staff who have been eagerly campaigning for this project since 2010," he said.

"Local representatives have been engaging with us since this news was announced and we are hopeful that a resolution can be found as soon as possible."

Deputy John McGuinness told Kilkenny Live that he has been actively engaging with the Tánaiste, Minister for Education and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on the matter.

"It's a serious concern and I won't stand over inefficiency in getting these projects over the line," he said.

"These projects are vital for Kilkenny and that's a point I made clear to the Education Minister and the Tánaiste during their recent visits to Kilkenny," he added.

Rising building costs have been cited as the primary reason for the funding delay as contractors are finding it difficult to stand over tendered costs for many planned school buildings.

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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has stated that the solution 'may involve some additional capital' or 'the reallocation of capital across departments'.

Education Minister Norma Foley has since moved to assure the schools impacted that her department was 100% committed to facilitating their projects.

For the local schools impacted, time is of the essence. Despite this, the Minister has not yet announced a definitive timeframe for when the issue will be resolved.