This article is from page 20 of the 2006-05-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 20 JPG
THE Holy Family School in Ennis yesterday expressed its concern at the impact of a proposed move by Ennis National School, to a new site without proper planning, on the future educational needs of the town.
The school yesterday reiterated its call for a sociological survey to be carried out before Ennis National School or Cloughleigh National School relocate to new sites, in the wake of Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council proposing to rezone a site at Ashline on the Kilrush Road to facilitate the relocation of Ennis National School.
Chairperson of the Board of Management of Holy Family, Ciana Campbell told The Clare People , “It is a matter of urgency that the sociological study be carried out. It is not good enough that it is proposed to build a new school and wait for a new community to be built around it. We have consistently asked for the study and are still asking for it. We don’t know why it hasn’t been carried out.”
The Board of Holy Family is now likely to make a submission to Clare County Council on the proposed rezoning and the impact it will have on the school.
Principal of Holy Family senior school, Margaret Cooney said, “We are opposed to any move by any school without proper planning. The planning that needs to be done around the proposed move by Ennis National School hasn’t been done.
“The council’s planner’s report into the rezoning talks about a new community being created around the new Ennis National School, but there is no mention of the impact this will have on the present community. The report has talked about the environment impacts, but said nothing about the human impact,” she added.
Ms Cooney pointed out that Holy Family’s Board wrote to Bishop Willie Walsh in 2002 seeking an independent sociological survey to assess the impact on other schools.
“This hasn’t been done. With Ennis and Cloughleigh moving, there is nothing going to be put in their place. Holy Family is at capacity and these are huge issues that nobody is addressing,” she said.
Ms Cooney also said she would not allow prefabs to be erected on Holy Family School.
“Personally, I would like to see a single stream school remain at the Ennis National School site. With the expansion of Ennis, we should be talking about additional schools for the town, not just relocating existing ones.”