€8.2m. investment confirmed for Mayo secondary school extension
The Department of Education has issued confirmation of an €8.2 million investment in significant additional accommodation at Davitt College in Castlebar.
The modular construction has been approved to cater for the immediate demand for school places in the area, local TD Alan Dillon has been informed.
Accommodation will provide for 12 mainstream classrooms and four specialist rooms (including one large room for science and textiles).
A further two special education rooms and toilets will be included and all in all, the additional accommodation will provide 2,690 square metres of new space at the school.
Deputy Dillon said: “It is great to see such a significant investment in a Castlebar school with over €8million being allocated for additional accommodation.
"I thank Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Educational and Training Board for their work in prioritising the school.
"We also had incredible good news last week with a jobs announcement and major enterprise investment of €4 million and 30 jobs, making for two good news Friday’s in a row.
"This brings investment of over €12 million to the town in the month of March alone.
"As a past pupil of Davitt College, I know first-hand the excellent work being done by the college and the talented teachers and staff who work there.
"This was a project of major important to former principal, Bernie Rowland, and to the current principal, Conor O’Reilly.
"It is great see their vision move toward becoming a reality and the additional accommodation is testament to the growth and demand at Davitt College.
“With over 772 students at the college, it is intended that this school will expand to provide capacity for 1,000 pupils.
"While this announcement is a very important interim step, the application for capital funding for the permanent accommodation is currently being processed by the Department of Education and at the final stages of the assessment process.
"I understand the tender for architectural services is currently being prepared so I expect this project to proceed at pace and become ready for the start of the 2022/2023 school year.
"Once completed, it will be an incredible asset to the people of Castlebar and surrounding townlands in addition to the other excellent secondary schools in the area.”