Children at a Ballinasloe school have been left waiting almost three decades for a new school building in what has been described as “a shocking indictment” of the school-building programme.

Ballinasloe-based Senator Aisling Dolan (FG) said more than 300 children and their teachers at Scoil an Chroí Naofa on Society Street faced into another winter in freezing conditions at a building for which a replacement was promised 28 years ago.

The school was established in 1996 following the amalgamation of St Grellan’s Boys’ School and the Sisters of Mercy Girls’ School with an understanding that a new school would be built.

But despite years of campaigning, and planning permission having been secured for a new building, Senator Dolan said this much-needed facility was not on the Department of Education’s priority list.

“This is a shocking indictment of delays in the system where we have a fantastic teaching support but children and teachers are freezing every winter in classrooms that are not fit for purpose. The buildings date back to the 1930s and the 1960s. The school’s heating bill is through the roof which is a nightmare financial situation for the school,” she said.

Senator Dolan said since becoming a Councillor in 2019, and subsequently a member of the Seanad, she had been campaigning for a new school to be built and planning permission for a 16-room two-storey school was secured last year.

“However, there is immense frustration with the lag and delays and obstacles in moving this project forward. We are still at design Stage 2B with statutory approvals and this needs to move to tender with all documents prepared.

“I want a clear date outlined on the submission of tender documents from the design team to the Minister for Education. I’ve also highlighted challenges around communication and I’m calling for an urgent meeting with all stakeholders. This is a priority project for the town of Ballinasloe and surrounding region and I want resources allocated to ensure we move this forward through the design team,” said the Fine Gael senator.

Scoil an Chroí Naofa is a DEIS Band 1 school, designated as such as it is located in an area with the highest number of students at risk of educational disadvantage.

Senator Dolan said children in the area could wait no longer for the facilities that they needed and deserved.

“The Department of Education is responsible to ensure that we have buildings fit for purpose, to give our children the best start in life,” she said.

Planning permission was granted for a new school in September 2023 and a revised design, to comply with conditions attached to the granting of permission, was submitted in March and approved by the County Council in April.

Permission includes for the demolition of the existing school building and the construction of new 16-room two-storey school with three special education rooms.

The building will have a new access road to the side adjacent to the library, with safe pick-up and drop-off space at the back of the building, along with a new playing pitch and play areas.

Pictured: Senator Aisling Dolan…shocking indictment.