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Last week the Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe announced that refurbishment work at Nenagh Vocational School can now go to tender and construction.
Other school projects authorised to prepare tender documents include Borrisokane Vocational School, Ursuline Convent, Thurles and Scoil Mhuire Presentations Secondary School, Thurles. The Sacred Heart Convent in Roscrea has been authorised to appoint a design team in quarter three.
North Tipperary Deputy Noel Coonan has welcomed the recent announcement but said there is long way to go with 36 schools still waiting for their projects to advance.
He stated:
 “There are 41 schools in North Tipperary that have made applications for major capital building works to the Department of Education. Five of these projects will now advance to the next stage as announced by Minister Batt O’Keeffe but it is my role in opposition to highlight the needs of the remaining schools and ensure Government Deputies in North Tipperary honour commitments made. The urgency of the situation cannot be underestimated with only five out of 41 schools, or 12%, moving to the next stage in North Tipperary. With new applications continuously being submitted to the Department of Education, this Government has a long way to go and supporting Deputies should not be blowing their own trumpets just yet.
I am continuously submitting parliamentary questions to the Minister for Educations to find out when local school projects will be advanced. In return the Minister replies that ‘in view of the level of demand on the Department’s capital budget, it is not possible to give an indicative time frame for the progression of individual school projects at this time’. This reply is unacceptable when it is the education of the children of our nation that is suffering. “
Individual school projects fall under four band ratings, each of which describes the extent of accommodation required and the urgency attaching to it.
Band One has the highest priority rating and Band Four has the lowest rating.
Boher NS Ballina, St.Anne’s Special School, Roscrea and Templemore NS, are of high priority with a band rating of One. These schools have applied for extension and refurbishment works with Boher NS urgently waiting on a Special Needs Unit.
Meanwhile, 22 North Tipperary schools are in the Band Two rating. Some of the schools waiting include Our Lady’s Secondary School, Templemore which is in early architectural planning for an extension, Scoil Ruaine, Killenaule which has an application for a PE Hall and Cloughjordan No 1 NS which has an application for refurbishment works. St.Joseph’s College in Newport have made an application for an extension and it too has been waiting patiently.
Seven projects have a band rating of Three and three projects have a band rating of Four.
 Ursuline Convent Thurles, Co Tipp The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, today [Tuesday] announced details of 52 school building projects which can now go to tender and construction as part of the Government’s €579 million school building programme.
Five North Tipperary schools are named, which had been earlier sanctioned to further progress their building work.
The schools named are Ursuline Convent, Thurles, – Nenagh VEC, – Borrisokane College, – Presentation Convent, Thurles and the Sacred Heart Primary School in Roscrea.
Borrisokane will also receive funds for a ‘Special Needs Autism Unit’. This unit is designed to compliment as a second level outlet to the recently announced special needs unit in Puckane National School.
Last year, over 32 large-scale projects in primary and post-primary schools were completed.
The Government’s capital programme for schools and colleges this year are forecast to create 7,300 jobs in the construction industry. (Well that’s according to the Minister for Education and Science.)
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‘Last year 967 schools benefited from small-scale projects undertaken under the Summer Works Scheme, while 1,700 schools received the go-ahead to carry out works under the Energy Efficiency Scheme,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.
These projects nationally are expected to create 23,000 new school places for children, through the building of 20 new schools and extensions.
Presented by Teagasc and the Irish Bioenergy Association, the National Bio-Energy Conference 2010 will take place at the Tipperary Institute (TI) in Thurles on the 18th February 2010.
 Teagasc and IrBEA The theme of the 2010 Conference – ‘Developing and Financing Bio-energy‘ – is appropriate, given the challenges currently faced at the different stages of developing a bio-energy project.
The line-up of expert panel speakers, will see bio-energy business developers tell the story behind their respective projects, whether this be based on wood energy, cereal crops or bio-fuels.
This conference is of interest to a broad audience including, farmers/landowners, consumers with large energy requirements, project developers, policy makers/regulators, legal advisers/consultants, business analysts/planners, economists/financial advisers technical/engineering managers, finance directors/financial controllers and finally energy purchasers/facilities managers.
Attendance fees include lunch and refreshments served during the conference.
Conference Fee: (For IrBEA and Teagasc members) – €50 .
Conference Fee: (For non-IrBEA and Teagasc members, and delegates registering on the day) – €100 .
To download the Conference brochure and to reserve a place at this Conference – Click Here
Further to the new programme for government announced last October, Five new primary level teaching positions will be allocated to schools in Tipperary.
Schools benefiting are:-
In Thurles – Scoil Naisuinte na Maighne, Thurles, Co. Tipperary and Slieveardagh NS, The Commons, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
In Bansha – Tankerstown NS, Bansha, Co.Tipperary.
In Carrick on Suir – Upper Newtown NS, Carrick on Suir Co.Tipperary.
In Clonmel – Powerstown NS, Clonmel, Co Tipperary.
These schools benefiting are schools that had previously lost out marginally on posts because of the revision of the pupil teacher ratios last year.
Schools are expected to be officially informed by the Department of Education in the coming days.
Deputy Michael Lowry, TD who, today, announced the new teaching posts stated:
“I welcome the confirmation of these teaching posts and I am continuing to work to ensure that secondary schools in similar positions in the county get the relevant posts assigned to them.”
 Thurles Credit Union Local schools have been invited to participate in the first stage of the nationwide 2010 Credit Union School’s Quiz competition, being run by Thurles Credit Union in the Thurles Sarsfield’s GAA Club Centre on Friday 29th January 2010 at 7.30pm.
Over 25,000 schoolchildren under the age of 13 will compete in over 300 venues throughout the 32 counties of Ireland. The questions, compiled by primary school teachers, will cover such general topics as geography, history, music, literature and sport.
This is the 19th successive year that the Schools Quiz has been organised by the Irish League of Credit Unions. It consists of two ‘knock-out’ stages, which will culminate in a National Final in Dublin in early April, when 100 qualifying teams will compete.
In addition to salvers, certificates and prizes to the winning teams’ members, the winning schools will also receive a welcome cash prize.
Further information is available from Thurles Credit Union (Telephone 0504 91700)
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