Second year students Tom Carry, Mia Cluskey and Josh Carolan are keen that the students’ voices be heard on the delay in delivering the new school for O’Carolan College, Nobber.

VIDEO: Students speak out over years of new school building delays

Students in O'Carolan College, Nobber, have spoken out about their disappointment that their long-awaited new school building has been stalled with one student telling how his older brother had also been promised a new school - and he is now 26.

Tom Carry from Staholmog outlined how both his older brother and sister had been told they would be getting a new school yet it still hasn't happened and they are now 26 and 23, while his youngest brother is due to start in the school next year.

Students want their voices to be heard and Tom and two other second year students have initiated a media campaign to highlight the poor state of their facilities and to put pressure on the Department of Education to allow their school proceed as planned.

News that O'Carolan College was one of 58 building projects being put on hold was greeted with dismay and bitter disappointment as the school was just awaiting the final email from the Department to approve them to go ahead and appoint the contractor.

With more than 30 prefabs on site, many of which are in poor condition, students were delighted to see the 3D tour of their new school at a launch attended by Minister Helen McEntee on her last day before beginning her maternity leave in November.

After the shock news that it was being put on hold, second year students Tom Carry, Mia Cluskey and Josh Carolan decided to get in touch with the media.

Tom said: "I decided enough is enough. It was the week the school got cancelled. Myself and Josh and Mia wrote an email to Mr Goggins about it and he said it was a great idea to get it out public for everyone to hear, so we went around to different outlets and told them about the different things wrong with the school.

"We told them how we are in 30 plus prefabs, and how every time it rains in our Tech Graphics and woodworks room, the velux windows are leaking and we have to put a bucket under them. It is the same in most classrooms now.

"My older brother started school in 2010. Mr Goggins was here at time and he was saying how they had got approved for a brand new school and they should be in it by about third year. My brother is now 26 and my younger brother is coming in next year and it is still not here. It is shameful that we are still in these conditions," said Tom.

Mia Cluskey from Castletown said they were all so disappointed with the news: "I felt really hopeful, that finally it was going ahead. In fourth class in school they told us about the new school and I'm in second year now."

She said there are just four girls toilets in the school building and you could spend most of your lunch break queuing for the toilets.

Josh Carolan, from Carlanstown said: "I was very shocked that at last minute just as it was about to go ahead, the email came that everything is stalled.

"It's not only us. It's 58 other schools. Nobody was expecting it. It's been over a decade - in 2005 they were first told there was a new school coming. My uncles who are 25 and 26 now were also told they would be getting a new school."

Despite the poor facilities, the student were keen to point out that it didn't reflect on the school and said it is a great school with very high achievers and past pupils who have gone on to do great things. They also told had also just got to an All-Ireland schools football final.

However, Josh said they don't have a football pitch or basketball court and when they have home basketball games they have to give away home advantage and go to Kingscourt or Mullagh because they don't have the proper size court.

Tom said: "It is embarrassing that we have to go to other schools in the county and ask to use their facilities."

The students are appealing to Education Minister Norma Foley to allow their project proceed as soon as possible, particularly given they are facing a planning deadline with planning permission set to expire early next year.

Principal Brian Goggins praised the students for their initiative and said it was a very powerful message for them to see that when they speak out, their voices will be heard. He said when they came to him and asked that they continue the fight and get in touch with media outlets, he told them to go for it.

"It's great for students to see they do have a voice and if they stand up and look to be heard, newspapers and radio will get in touch. It is a powerful message in a world where maybe they feel disengaged from the political process, this is a chance for them to see there is a way to became engaged and that their voices will be heard.

"I am delighted that they have had responses from politicians and ministers and media outlets. We have a Leaving Cert subject 'politics and society' and they are also getting to see we can engage in the process and see that just because they are young they are not excluded and that is a powerful message."