Assurances sought on placement of Lough Allen College pre-fabs
VEC representatives have called for assurances that the chosen site for any pre-fab classrooms at Lough Allen College, Drumkeerin will be outside the planned location of the new extension and are also seeking guarantees that the proposed extension and PE hall will remain a priority.
VEC CEO, John Blunnie said that the VEC was looking at the possiblity of relocating two nearly new pre-fabs from the old Mohill school site, to Lough Allen College.
However Cllr Mary Bohan said that it was imperative that if the pre-fabs were moved they would only be viewed as a short term solution to the problem and they would have to be located away from the proposed building extension.
"We've had experiences before where we get pre fabs and then we are stuck with them.
"It is vital that we keep the issue of Lough Allen College to the forefront and it is essential that we realise the construction of the extension and the PE hall as quickly as possible," noted Cllr Bohan.
Teacher representative from Lough Allen College, Sinead Dore said that in light of recent studies which showed that obesity levels were at an all time high for Irish children, it was "completely unacceptable" that a school like Lough Allen Community College could not offer more than one PE class a week for first and fifth years.
"We need to know what the situation is regarding the pre-fabs but we also need to know what the situation is regarding the extension," she said.
Mr Blunnie explained that he had put forward the proposal to relocate the prefabs to the Department of Education but had been told that he would now have to submit a costed proposal including sourcing planning permission for the pre-fabs and also getting quotes for the transfer of units to their new site.
Ms Dore said she was very unhappy with this news as the teachers at the school had understood that the new units would be in place when the new school year started in September.
Mr Blunnie said that the costings were being completed and he would speak with the architect and ensure the new pre-fabs would be located away from the proposed development site
Noting the plans for for the school extension and PE Hall had been drawn up in 2001, Mr Blunnie said that there was now no guarantee that when built it would be sized as it had originally been planned eight years ago.
He said at present the project had been assessed by the Department and had been assigned a band rating of 2-1, which meant it was not considered in the top priority band 1 and as such he had been informed that "in light of the current competing demands for funding it was not possible to indicate a time frame for this project".
Cllr Mary Bohan expressed her disappointment that the project had not progressed over the past eight years and she said it was vital that progress be made.
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Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
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Temperature: 6 C to 11 C
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