Town councillors remain divided over Eureka plan

Kells town councillors remain divided over the Department of Education"s choice of the Cavan Road for the new Eureka Secondary School, with the majority strongly criticising the overturning of the Town Development Plan (TDP) preference for the Navan Road. Cllr Conor Ferguson of Sinn Fein said he had not met one person who wanted the new school on the Cavan Road. Landowners on the Navan Road had indicated their preparedness to swap lands to facilitate the preferred site, he told a meeting of local town councillors on Monday. The Cavan Road had no facilities for pitches, was far from the swimming pool and would cause traffic chaos for parents and bus drivers, he went on. Cllr Brian Curran (Independent) said the department"s decision now was 'strange', given the clear preference of planners for Navan Road. Cllr AO Farrelly (Fianna Fail) said his party had accepted the TDP decision but sought that both sites be considered, whichever became available quicker. However, councillors were now blocking a new school, since the department said the Cavan Road was suitable. His colleague, Cllr Seán Drew, said the issue had been 'a political football, big time', with a new school the objective for everyone, from politicians to teachers. The Eureka School was putting up with nearly Victorian conditions yet approval for a new school had been given by the Department of Education for a new school three years ago, he said. Now they had a site and the council could consider rezoning. He queried whether a site at the Navan Road was available. Cllr Ollie Sweeney (Fine Gael) said nothing had been done about getting a new school while Cllr Tommy Grimes (Labour) said everyone wanted a new school but the non-FF council majority had been treated with disrespect by both the board of management and trustees of Eureka School. He said he had taken the matter up with his party"s education spokesman, Ruairí Quinn, who received 'the most negative reply' to his parliamentary question on Eureka from Minister Batt O"Keeffe. 'Democracy has been turned on its head' given both town and county councils had voted with planners for the Navan Road site, he said, and asked for a meeting with the Eureka trustees and board of management. Cllr Bryan Reilly said the procedures had been gone through but submissions had been made for the Cavan Road site by the 'people who matter most. Shame on you', he told Cllr Ferguson, 'You didn"t read them.' Cllr Ferguson replied that 'not many' supported the Cavan Road site. Cllr Reilly added there were 'portakabins all over the place, the pupils can"t play basketball' at Eureka and both sites should have been zoned. If they went the current way, the new school would be 'light years away'. He welcomed the council response, which would allow immediate pre-planning discussions, which would have to come before the county council. FF was trying to label councillors as blocking the new school when the majority had taken the advice of officials on the best site, said Cllr Ferguson. Cllr Sweeney said the department was to blame for the decade in which portakabins had grown around Eureka. Sharp exchanges between both sides were reined in by cathaoirleach Brian Collins. The department letter was 'a ball of smoke and mirrors' which would not serve long-term interests in Kells, he said. 'In a perfect world, the Navan Road is where the school should go. We should not take shortcuts to imperfection if there"s not a penny attached to this,' added the Labour councillor. There had been no procrastrination by council officials on the matter, said area manager Brendan McGrath, who outlined continuing contacts with the department"s building section in Tullamore. He said he had met the Navan Road landowners who expressed a willingness to make land available there for the new school. Deputy Johnny Brady welcomed confirmation from Education Minister Batt O"Keeffe at the weekend that his Department had asked Meath County Council to consider a material contravention for the Cavan Road site to zone it educational. The legalities for acquiring the site under the Redress Board had been completed, and the re-zoning was more likely to be 'cost neutral' and a faster option given it was already in the department"s ownership, added the Kilskyre TD. He said he was 'delighted that common sense has eventually prevailed. It was regrettable that the original proposals by Fianna Fáil councillors to zone both sites were not accepted'. Eureka School urgently needed improved accommodation to facilitate its enrolment from across the north of the county, parts of Westmeath and Cavan, added Deputy Brady. It was very important that progress was facilitated and councillors should vigorously support the process to ensure the new school was provided as speedily as possible, the Meath West TD urged. Through no fault of the Department of Education, 'this project has unfortunately been delayed for far too long. On behalf of students, teachers and parents across the area I represent, I will continue my efforts to progress this project', he said.