Temporary site for new Portlaoise secondary school announced

Portlaoise's new secondary school is set to be housed in the former school building in the town centre, according to Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley.

Deputy Stanley said that the new Second Level College in Portlaoise will be located at Railway Street formerly the old Technical School and which more recently housed Educate Together. A significant portion of this building was renovated prior to Educate Together moving into it.

Laois Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) and An Foras Pátrúnachta, the Irish language school patron, have been awarded the Patronage. The LOETB   

The school is due to open next September and will have both Irish and English medium streams.

Dep Stanley said there are serious capacity issues with the lack of second level places in the Portlaoise area at present and the fact that the new school is due to come on stream will help to cater for much of this demand.

“This is a good medium term solution but in the longer term a new second level college will need to be provided as the population of Laois continues to grow at a level above the national rate,” he said.