Minister of State, Trevor Sargent TD, along with Fingal Green colleagues, Mary, Roger, Paul, Ciarán, Sadhbh, Stiofán called to a few residents in Malahide over a couple of weekends. The schedule was co-ordinated by Mary Wogan the Malahide Area Organizer. Minister Sargent reported on his encounters as follows:
‘Dry weather in Malahide, thank God. Not too cold to be out either. Too cold however to meet many people in their gardens. Although I was delighted to be shown Breda Duggan’s kitchen garden which had yielded produce which won her top prize at the latest Malahide Horticultural Show.
The main issue raised at doors was the need for St.Oliver Plunkett’s NS to have a new building. This large school has 34 mainstream classes. It also serves a much wider area than Malahide given the expertise and facilities it has built up over the years in teaching children with special needs. Of the 900 plus pupils enrolled, over 300 are in portacabins. These structures were installed for a 2 year period in 1998, but now 12 years later, they are consuming huge resources to keep them useable. Damp in winter, stuffy in summer, mould on walls, the message is clear – enough is enough.
I have been working with the Principal, the Board and indeed the Parents’ Association to prioritise the construction of a new school. The Board is as a result, making more progress now than before. Meetings have been held with the Dept. of Education and Science and Minister Batt O’Keefe and another is due in early March.
Meetings are also taking place with Fingal County Council regarding a new site for the school. A new 40 classroom school would be too cramped on the present site. The Council, I am glad to say, is supportive of identifying a greenfield site nearby in Malahide. For further updates, contact the school info@stops.ie or call my office 01 8900360 or email trevor.sargent@agriculture.gov.ie.
Every resident we met was invited to attend the public meeting on Thursday 25th February 2010 in St Andrew’s Parish Centre, Church Rd. ‘Future Proofing Malahide’ will address the effects of climate change locally. Coping with water supply, rising sea levels and tropical diseases and new species are all future realities, some are impacting already. A profile of the main presenter Prof John Sweeney is already on this website for further information. I hope to meet you there over a cup of tea or coffee. Admission is free.
Other issues which were discussed on the doorsteps included, Bridgefield car park plans, higher paid civil servants’ pay claims, standards in residential care facilities, bee keeping, planning issues around mobile phone masts, PSRI and the merits of Government grants for energy insulating homes and installing solar panels. Great to see the new Green Home Store in Townyard Lane which I opened officially recently. Kevin Egan and Paul Harding, both Directors there are delighted to show people the ‘green hardware’ available and offer advise.
Finally, I want to wish Mr Cannon, an incredibly dedicated and talented teacher, all the very best on his retirement as Principal of Pobal Scoil Iosa, Malahide Community School, and to wish his successor Mr Molloy every success in his new role.’
