Urgent action needed on accommodation for Stepping Stones School

Urgent action is needed to provide appropriate accommodation for the Stepping Stones Special School in Kilcloon.

Deputy Darren O’Rourke, has written to the Minister for Education to request that urgent action be taken to deliver new and appropriate accommodation for the school.

Deputy O’Rourke raised this issue with the Department of Education as far back as last March, soon after he was elected to the Dáil, and he said it’s unacceptable that no progress has been made since then.

“Stepping Stones Special School provides an invaluable service to children with special educational needs," he said.

“The school buildings are in a woefully inadequate state. Anyone who saw the news reports on the television at the weekend would be shocked to think this is the condition of some of our schools.

“It’s so unfair to expect our teachers and SNAs to work in these conditions and, worse still, for children to be taught in buildings that are literally rotting away beneath their feet.

“Last March, soon after I was elected to the Dáil, I questioned the Minister for Education about when new and appropriate accommodation would be provided for Stepping Stones.

“I was told at the time that ‘a site visit to the school will be undertaken and that further contact will be made with the school.

“That site visit took place but nothing else. This is completely unacceptable. In the months that followed I have been in contact with staff and parents. They are understandably growing increasingly frustrated.

“I appreciate the pandemic has complicated things, but construction has continued for the most part and there is no reason why new appropriate accommodation could not have been secured during this time.

“Furthermore, it’s ridiculous the Department didn’t use the unexpected school closures to progress these much-needed works, when it would not have disrupted staff or students.

“Today I have written to the Minister for Education once more to raise this issue and to ask for urgent action to be taken. I will seek to raise it on the floor of the Dáil too.

“Our teachers and students in Stepping Stones deserve quality classrooms and equipment and it’s unacceptable the school’s needs have been ignored for so long,” he said.