Officials from the Department of Education are to undertake a comprehensive review of the provision of second-level education in Galway. Ciarán Tierney reports.
This follows the failure of a city-centre school to relocate to a new site on the outskirts of the city after the city council opposed its rezoning.
The Minister for Education and Science, Ms Mary Hanafin, has instructed officials to undertake a strategic survey of the future needs of second-level schooling in the city.
Her initiative follows calls from the Minister of State, Mr Frank Fahey, for an overall plan in the wake of last month's controversy over the proposed rezoning of National University of Ireland, Galway lands to provide a new home for St Joseph's College, known as the "Bish", at Dangan.
The anticipated rezoning was turned down by the city council on the casting vote of Mayor Catherine Connolly. However, the council did agree to rezone the current "Bish" site at Nun's Island for residential use.
During a three-hour debate on the issue, councillors had unanimously agreed that the current "Bish" site was unsuitable for a school accommodating 880 students.
Many expressed support for Mr Fahey's call for a full review of schooling needs.
It has been welcomed by members of the city council, who hope that a council delegation can meet Department officials in the coming weeks.
A number of council members had expressed concern that the proposed move by the "Bish" was taking place in the absence of an overall plan, while NUI Galway authorities had made it clear that there was no agreement in place for the transfer of the green site to the city-centre school.
Mr Fahey said there was an urgency attached to the strategic survey because of the significant growth in population in both the city's eastern (Ardaun and Doughiska) and western (Barna and Knocknacarra) suburbs.
"With a projected population growth of approximately 75,000 for Galway city and Oranmore by the year 2022, it is clear that strategic forward planning is now essential," he said.
"I have asked that the planning department would engage with the city council and existing secondary schools to determine the projected number of second-level students by 2020, the number of new schools required, and where they should be located."
Ms Connolly, who opposed both the NUI Galway and Nun's Island rezonings, said yesterday that the "Bish" was not the only city-centre school in search of a new home.
She expected St Patrick's Primary School to seek a move in the near future, while also seeking to have the school rezoned to make way for apartments or houses. This would provide a cash windfall for the school's board of management.
She will remain opposed to the rezoning of institutional sites in the city centre for residential development, because she is aware of a significant number of worthy organisations in Galway which are in need of suitable premises, she said.
"I would have difficulty with the rezoning of a recreational and amenity site for the use of one school," she said. "I'm expecting St Pat's to come along as well to seek a rezoning, which will effectively be aiding and abetting the property market."