'Crisis looming" for Johnstown NS

Navan councillor Tommy Reilly is calling on Meath County Council and the Department of Education to immediately set up a process to acquire lands by Compulsary Purchase Order (CPO) for two schools in the Johnstown area. St Stephen"s NS is currently accommodated in the former St Martha"s College in Johnstown where there are over 400 children on the roll. While a new school has been sanctioned, a site has not yet been acquired for St Stephen"s. A new school is also required for St Mary"s Special School, and Cllr Reilly said he also wants to see land acquired by CPO for this school and for recreational facilities in the area. Land has been zoned in the Johnstown area for community and educational facilities but this land remains in private ownership. Cllr Reilly said: 'I"m calling on Meath County Council and the Department of Education to immediately set up a process to CPO lands in Johnstown for a primary school, special school and recreational facilities. There are over 400 children in St Stephen"s in Johnstown, which is in an antiquated building. I"m concerned that there is a crisis looming because the lease is up on this building and we are no further on today towards acquiring the site than we were six or seven years ago.' He added: 'The Department has sanctioned a school for Johnstown, The Department and the HSE have been down in Johnstown on numerous occasions but all to no avail. Therefore, I am now calling on Meath County Council and the Department of Education and the Department of Health to set up a process that this site can be acquired immediately.' The Navan councillor said he had put a motion down for the council to CPO land for the schools but that he was informed by the area manager that the council would have to be advised by the Department of Education before they could do this, and that all other avenues had to be exhausted first. However, Cllr Reilly said that all other avenues have been exhausted at this stage. 'There is a crisis looming if this doesn"t happen. I don"t want to see another Laytown happening. 'The lease is up in June - where are these 400 children going to go?' A spokesperson for the Department of the Education said: 'The Department of Education and Science is engaged in identifying a suitable site for St Stephen"s NS Johnstown, Navan. The acquisition of a suitable site and the proposed building project for the school will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to the Department for school buildings generally.' She said the Department is in ongoing contact with the school authorities regarding the school"s immediate accommodation needs. The spokesperson added that the issue of leasing was a matter for the school and the owner of the premises.