Time for change

They don’t say when, but looks like it’s gonna happen (finally)…

Contracts signed for new 1,000-pupil school on Magee Barracks site in Kildare town Contracts have been signed for a new 1,000-pupil school on the Magee Barracks site in Kildare town. Last December, it was announced that an expanded Curragh Post-Primary School in South Kildare will be re-located to the greenfield site which is next to two existing primary schools, Educate Toge...

Schools are about to start soon! How was your experience changing from primary to secondary?

Draft Kildare Town Local Area Plan 2023 - 2029
Public Consultation

Kildare County Council has prepared a Draft Local Area Plan (LAP) for Kildare Town and are inviting submissions from members of the public on the plan.

What is the Kildare Town Local Area Plan?
The Local Area Plan will provide guidance for the future development of transportation, housing, economic, heritage, employment, and social and community infrastructure in Kildare Town.

You can download a copy of the Draft Kildare Town Local Area Plan 2023 - 2029 herehttps://consult.kildarecoco.ie/en/system/files/materials/7322/Draft%20Kildare%20Town%20LAP%202023-2029%20-%20Written%20Statement.pdf

Public Information Session
A public information session will be held Áras Bhríde, Bride Street, Kildare Town on Wednesday 19th April from 4:00pm to 8:00pm.

How to make a submission
Submissions/Observations can be made here on the Kildare County Council consultation portal or in writing to:
Draft Kildare Town LAP, C/O Senior Executive Officer, Planning Department, Kildare County Council, Áras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Naas, Co. Kildare.

https://consult.kildarecoco.ie/en/consultation/draft-kildare-town-local-area-plan-2023-2029


DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 4pm Wednesday 3rd May 2023.

Curragh Post Primary School school has been approved funding under the Emergency Works Scheme as follows:

o Description of works: CAT1: Life Safety Systems
o Final decision: Approved

Why is this happening? What a devastation!

It’s Norma Foley - TD!

Kildare mother fears plea for school place for her son is falling on deaf ears By Conor Forrest A KILDARE mum has spoken out about the frustration and devastation of not being able to find a school place for her child. Sarah Hogan from Suncroft said her son four-year-old Scott, who has autism won’t be attending school in September as there is nowhere suitable for him. Th

📣📣KILDARE• SCHOOLS • FUNDING

I am delighted to have been able to help secure €1.6 in Summer Works funding for Kildare schools.

In total 7 primary schools and 4 post primary schools will share the allocation. This announcement is timely and gives schools good lead-in time to plan and deliver the projects in summer 2022.

Thanks to Norma Foley - TD and her officials for working proactively to deliver this funding to Kildare.

🔈AMAZING NEWS!!!

The Department have confirmed that the school will be located on an 8 acre site near Magee Barracks.

This is great progress and is a long-time coming for the education community in South Kildare, but we still need to see the immediate shortage for September 2022 addressed by the Minister and her Department, and I am confident that working with the Minister I can help deliver a workable interim solution for our community.

📣 Site Secured for New School 📣

Since my election to the Oireachtas in 2016, I have been working hard to deliver a new school building for South Kildare. We have repeatedly seen issues of capacity within the education system in Kildare South and alleviating that remains a key priority for me.

Unfortunately, this year we have seen yet another school place shortage in Kildare South, mainly in the towns of Newbridge, Kildare and the surrounding areas. I have used my position as a Senior Government Senator to advocate strongly on behalf of our community. I have met with Minister Foley on several occasions, both in private and publicly to ensure that she and her Department are fully aware of the issues on the ground, and of the anxiety of affected parents and students in our towns. I have also raised this issue directly with the Taoiseach.

Like so many others, I have been frustrated by the lack of action in recent years, and the delays with respect to the new building for Curragh Post Primary, but I have continued to raise this at every opportunity, and I am pleased to say that progress has finally been made on the site for the new school. The Department have confirmed that the school will be located on an 8 acre site near Magee Barracks.

This is great progress and is a long-time coming for the education community in South Kildare, but we still need to see the immediate shortage for September 2022 addressed by the Minister and her Department, and I am confident that working with the Minister I can help deliver a workable interim solution for our community.

📖School Projects for South Kildare📖

I was contacted by Minister Norma Foley earlier today, and I am pleased to confirm that progress has been made on the below projects expected to progress to tender stage.

📌 Patricians Post Primary,
📌 Cross & Passion College Kilcullen,
📌 St. Mary’s Naas and
📌 St. Mark’s Special school

Projects in St. Mark's Special School, Newbridge for a new build replacement school of 14 classrooms. Cross & Passion, Kilcullen for an extension & refurbishment of existing school including a 4-classroom base for children with special educational needs which once completed will cater for 1,000 pupils and finally Patrician Post Primary, Newbridge for a new build replacement school including a 4 classroom base for children with special educational needs which will also cater for 1,000 pupils.

I welcome this announcement. Officials in the Department are currently in advanced negotiation with a landowner, in regard to the proposed acquisition of a site deemed suitable for the replacement Curragh post primary school to meet the demand from Newbridge, Kildare and surrounding areas. This negotiation is ongoing, in line with our comprehensive site selection criteria, technical consideration and input from Kildare County Council. I will be keeping pressure on the Department to ensure this comes to fruition.

I am continuing to push the case forward for South Kildare with the Minister in relation to the school places issue in our areas

Another sad day with disappointing news.

Only 11 places were offered from Kildare Town Community School in the 2nd round 😔

262 applications were received and they have only 180 places.

Yes Simon Harris TD, Kildare Town Community School is a great school! But why are so many children on a waitlist???

We were promised years ago, that a 2nd Secondary school will be built… still not been delivered. Not even a site has been agreed on. Action is needed NOW… ⏳



https://twitter.com/simonharristd/status/1465277616416505858?s=21

Simon Harris TD on Twitter “Thanks to Kildare Town Community School for the welcome this morning. A chance to talk with students about https://t.co/30uP3rQNzP & all the pathways available to them post-school. A brilliant school!”

Front page of the Kildare Nationalist! 💪🏼

Let’s not slow down and share this! We can do this!

In this week's Kildare Nationalist In this week's Kildare Nationalist * Despair as Kildare school's waiting list nearly doubles in a year * Athy man's World-Record breaking golf challenge 'Down Under' * Survey and Drop-In Day to get Kilcullen's view on town's future * Two pages of photos from opening of Athy Photogra

Some good press coverage here highlighting one child's plight to get a secondary school place in Kildare Town. She has been rejected by the secondary school KTCS which she can see from her house!

Please share these photos to show the public our rejected kids in Kildare town outside the gates of Kildare Town Community School

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 - 𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

We need a national reach, please share far and wide, so we get the exposure in the media.

In case you missed the radio interview with Senator Mark Wall on Kfm Radio Kildare:

He highlighted, that:

📌"It's a fundamental right for children!"
📌"It's not just about mainstream pupils, special needs children are also affected"
📌"Parents aren't just picky, places in schools are just not there!"
📌"It's unnecessary extra stress, especially in a pandemic"
📌"It's time to come up with a plan now, as there is still no site agreed on - even after years of discussions!"

𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲!

So, Mark, it's definitely Time for change. Thank you for your support! Whats the next step❓

Senator Mark Wall will be on Kfm Radio Kildare between 9-11am, tomorrow morning (17th of November)

📻 Tune in.

Senator: Secondary school places in Kildare-South 'at critical level' A Senator with the Labour Party has said that Secondary school places in Kildare-South are 'at critical level.' The comments come from Senator Mark Wall, who called on the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, to immediately publish a plan to accommodate those families and children who find them...

Quick update: Great turnout at the Kildare Town Community School this afternoon. 💪🏼

Lovely to put faces to the people behind this cause. 😊

Thank you Sara Joanne and everyone who supported us today! Onwards and upwards ↗️

📍Can you all use the hashtag:


The full story about today… coming soon…. Stay tuned!

🕑 2pm
🗓 14th of November
📍outside KTCS

TURN UP! Even if your child was accepted!

This is a general problem and not only for the families, who didn’t get a place yet!

Thank you!

If you are reading this, you are tired of the procedure of applying to secondary schools, primary schools and crèches in Ireland.
These are ludicrous and inefficient.

Due to the quick raise in population in south Kildare, we urgently need an additional secondary school in Kildare town. But this group is not just about that! It’s about waiting lists and their unnecessary administrations.

It’s common practise, that every child needs to apply to several institutions until they are offered a place! This creates huge stress in families and should not be the case.

It’s time for change and we need to contact the department of education!

This group is for people, who are passionate about this subject and aren’t afraid to approach the government.

We need to contact the politicians and ask for change of the procedure. Nobody needs the headache we are going through anymore, when signing our children into the education system!

Thank you for your support!