Councillors want action on site for new Westport school

THE Department of Education has been called upon to move now and make a site available for a new home for Holy Trinity National School in Westport.

The old Scoil Phadraig site on Altamount Street has been identified as a permanent location for the school.

But councillors have accused the department of pitting one school against another with a suggestion that the local Educate Together school could also be accommodated there.

At a local area meeting, Councillor Brendan Mulroy called on the department to clarify the matter and make the site available to Holy Trinity. They have been held up for long enough and he was asking the department to make a decision and get the new school up and running.

Councillor Johnny O'Malley said he understood they wanted to put the other school in alongside it. That wasn't fair to Holy Trinity. They had contributed to the community over many years, and were in an old building which is not fit for purpose.

Councillor Gerry Coyle said the site was only fit for one school.

There was support for Educate Together, too, to develop a school on another site. But as Councillor Christy Hyland pointed out, the Holy Trinity search for a new school had been going on 'too long'.

He said he hoped the department would not be causing 'division' with Holy Trinity on one side and Educate Together on the other.

Councillor Mulroy agreed they should not be pitted against each other.

They had facilitated Educate Together as being they can and would support them to get a new premises in the future, he said.

The way the site in question is aligned it would be a 'mistake' to try and put two schools in there, beside busy civic offices and the library.