Educate Together Secure Fassaroe Site

Wherever I lay my calculator…

atest press release from John Brady TD, issued on Tuesday, January 17th 2023…

Wicklow Sinn Féin TD, John Brady, a long-time campaigner for North Wicklow Educate Together, has welcomed today’s announcement that the Department of Education has reached Agreement in Principle with the landowner of a 9.3-acre site at Fassaroe in Bray, which will accommodate the North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School.

The school was first opened in 2016 in temporary premises in the old Presentation College school on Putland Rd, Bray, and has been searching for a permanent home since then. During which they have had to endure repeated setbacks, primarily as a result of failures by Minister Norma Foley and her Department.

Brady said: “I want to absolutely welcome the announcement today that there is an agreement in principle to provide a site for a permanent home for the North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School at Fassaroe, in Bray.

“It represents a huge boost to all that have worked so hard for so long to attempt to secure a permanent home for the school and its pupils, and staff.

“North Wicklow Educate Together has been engaged in a long, and arduous search for a permanent home since 2016. Today’s announcement is a huge step forward. Although, there could be a wait of up to 3-4 years before the school is fully completed and pupils are able to attend classes.

“I believe that there is a clear onus on the Department of Education and Skills, and Minister Norma Foley to do everything in their power to push the process along as quickly as possible. Since 2016 over €11 million has been spent on temporary accommodation for schools across the country. In 2021 alone, close to €6 million was spent. In the period since 2016, €881,325 spent on rental costs for the North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School, while a further €1,701,807 was spent on refurbishments during the same timeframe. 

“The Department and the Minister bear considerable responsibility for the lengthy wait forced on the staff, management, and pupils of North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School, having badly let the school down badly in the past.

“I have been consistently raising this issue in the Dáil with the Minister since 2016. At one stage when following the ending of its lease in the old Presentation College building on Putland Rd, North Wicklow Educate Together was supposed to reopen in temporary accommodation in the old Ravenswell School in Bray. However, the Department of Education and Skills had neglected to sign a licence agreement with the Religious Order who owned the old school building. Which was needed to allow contractors to carry out extensive refurbishment work before Educate Together would be able to move in.

“At one stage it looked like the school would not have a building for the start of the new school year, with the Minister attempting to blame Covid for the delay in signing the agreement. Only strong intervention and the pressure brought to bear on the Minister and the Department prevented what could have been a disaster.

“The time for foot dragging and blame avoidance has to come to an end, and the Minister and her Department need to ensure that the Agreement in Principle between the Department and the landowner is set in stone, to allow the process of moving towards the building of the new school and a new era for North Wicklow Educate Together to begin.”