Laytown's secondary school on schedule for 2012 opening

The new permanent 1,000-pupil school building for Coláiste na hInse, Laytown, is expected to be ready for September 2012, last week's meeting of Meath VEC heard. An additional four classrooms are to be added to the existing temporary building for next September. According to the VEC's monthly building report, work is progressing well on the permanent building and a site meeting took place there last week. Forty per cent of the foundations have been laid to date and the contractors are working to the tight timeframe of the contracted 15-month build, in order to have the school ready for September 2012. The report also points out that the Department of Education purchased the temporary building, which houses the current school, from Pierce Healy Contractors at the beginning of the year. As part of the sale, an agreement was made between the Department and Pierce Healy to build an additional four classrooms, two at either end of the building. These new classrooms are crucial to cater for the extra demand for September 2011. Meanwhile, an architect has been appointed for the two additional permanent classrooms for Beaufort College in Navan. Work on the design and location of the classrooms is expected to be complete this week and the fire certificate and disability access certificate is expected to be lodged with the county council next week. Meanwhile, summer work on the drainage project at Beaufort College has started. The work requires phasing so that the internal works are scheduled to be fully completed during the summer holidays, while the school is closed. Phase two would then require a moving building site externally, so that sections of the new drainage can be completed safely and without interruption to normal school activities. Summer works at Coláiste Pobail Ráth Chairn will include internal and external roofing projects. The first phase of the acoustic roof insulation and sound proofing is complete. The work to date has made a major difference to the school and classroom environment. Phase two, which will complete the project in full, will commence as soon as the external roofing problems have been fixed. Funding has been received from the Department of Education to complete the external roof problems and the tenders are currently with the architect. Meanwhile, the Department's technical team recently visited O'Carolan College, Nobber, where permission has been granted for a permanent extension. The schedules are being finalised and updated, while the exact location of the 3,300 square metres extension is being considered. The project will then proceed to the next stage, the appointment of a design team. Work is almost complete the prefabs at St Fintina's Post-Primary School, Longwood. This extra space, along with a small resource classroom, has increased the capacity for students in Longwood greatly and leaves the school with good accommodation for the new school year in September. Meanwhile, the VEC is in talks with the Department to finalise the schedule for the permanent extension to Ratoath College in order to proceed to the next stage, which is the appointment of design team. Funding was recently approved for the summer works in Ratoath College and access control will be provided to the main and all secondary entrance doors in order to ensure that the school building cannot be entered by members of the public during school times. Weather seals and ventilation devices will be provided to all five entrance lobbies and the external and internal lobby sliding doors at the school, to reduce heat loss. A tender process is underway to engage a consultant to oversee this work. The VEC is awaiting the Department's senior inspectors' recommendation for specialist rooms for St Oliver Post-Primary School in Oldcastle. In the meantime, the school is proceeding with plans for internal modifications in order to create space for a school library.