Kilkenny pupils and staff trek to Dáil to raise 'urgent need' for new school

Students from St John's Senior School in Kilkenny City travelled to the Dáil earlier this week to highlight the urgent need for a new amalgamated school.

Pupils (accompanied by Principal Brian Roche and staff) were joined at Dáil Éireann by Deputy Catherine Callaghan, who organised the trip, and Leas-Cheann Comhairle John McGuinness TD.

The mission was simple. To impress upon Minister Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Education, the urgent need to provide a new school at Ballybough Street in order to amalgamate St John's Junior and Senior schools.

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McGuinness highlighted that 'both schools have increased numbers and recently the Department granted both DEIS status'.

"St John's Parish is growing at a pace and requires a new amalgamated school to cope with the demands arising from this growth and the need to modernise the school infrastructure," he added. 

"A very high standard of education is being provided by both schools but the school community now deserves a state of the art educational facility to give the pupils of today and tomorrow the best possible chance of being well prepared for secondary school and their future prospects in further education and employment."

Deputy Catherine Callaghan gave her full support to the project too, stating that she is 'fully committed to the delivery of the new amalgamated school building'.

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