This article is from page 10 of the 2006-02-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
THE prospects of Tullycrine National School in west Clare holding onto its two-teacher status, have improved, following the securing, by Rural Resettlement Ireland (RRI), of planning permission for four houses in the depopulated area.
“We are delighted with the decisions. It is something very positive for the school,” Principal of the two-teacher school, Mary Lynch said this week.
“With the possibility of four new families moving into the area, the outlook is looking more healthy and it will also help us to move away from our borderline figure of 12 that allows the school to retain two teachers.
Ms Lynch said that three students were set to the leave the 14-pupil school this summer reducing the numbers to 11, but added that the school was confident of a new in-take of students in September.
“Our younger classes have stronger numbers than so that is a good sign.”
Director of RRI, Jim Connolly said, “I am very happy to get these decisions. The school, provided that the project reaches fruition, will be saved by the four families moving into the area.”
The decision to lodge the applications for housing at Tullycrine was in response to a direct plea from the Chairman of the Board of Management of Tullycrine National School, John Deely.
Asking the council to take into account the school’s situation when making a decision, Mr Deely said, “That is not a happy situation and the future of the school is in doubt.”
The Council’s Acting Director of Service for Planning, Liam Conneally, said that each RRI application would receive a fair, transparent and professional planning assessment.
The decision by the Council in relation to the homes in the Tullycrine area are the only successes RRI has enjoyed in its rural housing programme of 11 proposed homes lodged last May with the Council.