'Scandalous' - Questions over Laois special needs school left unfinished for two years

Councillor Ben Brennan has said it is "absolutely scandalous" that families are still waiting for construction work to recommence on the new school for Saplings in Graiguecullen after two years of the project being stalled. 

Construction work started on the new school for students with special needs in March 2023 but stopped later that year. The half-built school has laid untouched since then at the site in Fruithill. 

Parents, students and teachers have been left in limbo while they await an update on when the work will restart. Saplings is currently operating out of prefabs in Killeshin. 

At the November meeting of the Graiguecullen/Portarlington MD, Cllr Ben Brennan sought an update from Laois County Council on the progress of the construction.

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Cllr Brennan told the council the situation was "absolutely scandalous" and that currently "we have nothing only a shell." With children dependent on the school, he demanded: "I'd like to know what's going on."

The construction of the new school is funded through foreign investment and private funding, leading Cllr Brennan to query about funding running out and whether or not the Government were going to step in. 

Laois County Council plan on writing a letter to the Department of Education to seek further information on the progress of the project and its funding. 

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme