Tender awarded for new Holy Family School

Work will commence on the new Holy Family School in Cootehill in November, The Anglo-Celt can confirm. The news comes as Tracey Brothers Ltd were formally awarded the contract for the project, bringing to and end decades of campaigning and waiting for the new school campus for children with special needs in counties Cavan and Monaghan.

The new campus is expected to be fully completed by June, 2020, providing state-of-the-art accommodation for the school's 165 students and 110 staff including 29 teachers, 54 SNAs, 29 bus escorts, plus nurses, therapists and others.

While students and staff will return to the existing building for a number of weeks in September, they will all then move in November to a new temporary prefabricated campus on the site of the old Whelan's Shoe Factory.

The exciting news has been welcomed by the principal of the Holy Family School, Rachel Moynagh. “It has taken a while but we are on the right road now,” she said.
Minister Heather Humphreys (FG), local deputies Brendan Smith (FF) and Niamh Smyth (FF) and Senator Joe O'Reilly (FG) all welcomed the good news, as did parents of students attending the school.

Ms Moynagh confirmed that the temporary accommodation will include 16 classrooms, a dining hall, PE room and offices.There will be two blocks including eight classrooms in each block.

Speaking on the matter, a delighted Minister Humphreys said that the Department of Education had issued the letter of acceptance to the contractor, Tracey Brothers Ltd, for the new build.
“This means work can now commence on the new building, which I know will come as very welcome news to principal Rachel Moynagh, the Board of Management and indeed all the pupils, parents, teachers, staff and indeed everybody associated with the Holy Family School."
She added: “As somebody who worked in Cootehill for many years, I know just how much the new school means to everybody in the community and indeed to families throughout Cavan and Monaghan."
Minister Humphreys contended that the school had been ignored by successive Governments and gave the credit for its delivery to her own party in government. "Following my election in 2011, I worked with then Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, and his successor, Jan O’Sullivan, to ensure that approval was given for the new building in November 2015.

“Following that approval in 2015, there were changes to the design of the school in order to accommodate the increase in numbers. This was important to ensure that the school would be able to serve future generations but unfortunately the changes to the design did result in delays," she said.

Deputy Brendan Smith complimented the principal, Ms Moynagh; her staff colleagues; successive Boards of Management and Parents’ Associations on their work in highlighting the need for modern and adequate accommodation for the increasing number of students attending the school.
He added that he was glad to have been able to consistently support, over the years, the work of all involved in advocating for this much-needed school accommodation.
Fine Gael Senator for Cavan, Joe O’Reilly, also welcomed the award of the tender to Tracey Brothers, and urged all to progress the project without any further delay.

“These construction works for Holy Family School must be completed on schedule in order to ensure students have a conducive environment in which to attend the school and to support staff in the school in their daily work.
“I am committed to making sure this is the case and that building works are completed as a matter of priority," he said.