Edgworthstown school lock out averted
- Published: 26 September 2008
By Staff Reporter
by Liam Cosgrove
A prefab company who threatened to lock pupils out of one of County Longford's largest primary schools has agreed to shelve its far reaching plans after a truce was reached between the company and the Department of Education.
Fears that schoolchil
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dren could face the prospect of being locked out of their classrooms emerged last Thursday evening when Dublin based prefab company Extraspace sent a letter to principal of St Mary's National School, Helen O'Gorman in Edgeworthstown, Co Longford vowing to lock parts of the school because the department had yet to pay this year's bill for classroom hire.
"We are not locked out this morning," a relieved Ms O'Gorman told the Leader this week. "I spoke to the company this morning and they understand that it (payment) is going to be sorted."
Ms O'Gorman revealed Extraspace was owed 85,000 euro for the rent and construction of two temporary classrooms from February to Christmas in an invoice which is normally paid within six to eight weeks.
"It's all done through the school," Ms O'Gorman explained. "We have two prefabs at this particular time and we sent that information into the department. It usually takes about six weeks or so for money to come through but on this occasion it hasn't."
It is the second time in as many weeks, the Edgeworthstown school has been hit with spiralling cash problems. Last week, the Leader revealed how as many as 20 teachers are having to contend with makeshift accommodation despite promises that a new state of the art school worth 83.5 million would be built almost three years ago.
The letter which was sent to St Mary's NS by Extraspace managing director Paul Tierney warned "serious action" may have to be taken in order to secure payment from the department.
"Despite our efforts to resolve this matter, we have not received any guarantees from the DOES (Department of Education and Science) or your schools that we will receive payments owing for temporary classrooms.
"The significant level of payments overdue are putting our company under severe financial pressure. While it is certainly not our desire to inconvenience the school and its pupils, we have been unfortunately placed in a position where we must take serious action in order to protect our company from further financial costs arising," the letter outlined.
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