More bad news for Tyrone school fighting to get better facilities

THE EDUCATION Minister has said there is a ‘simply insufficient budget’ to allow a £1.4m project to go ahead at a Tyrone school.

For years, pupils at St Macartan’s Primary School in Clogher have had to sit in the assembly hall to eat their lunch.

Three years ago, the Department of Education approved the construction of a new dining/multi-purpose hall at the school, costing a total of £1.4m.

However, Education Minster Paul Givan recently said the work will not proceed because of a ‘very constrained’ budget.

It is a huge blow for pupils, staff and parents at the school, which first opened in 1933 and has 136 pupils.

Mr Givan has now explained more about the financial restraints his department is facing.

He was responding to an Assembly question from Sinn Fein MLA Colm Gildernew about an update on the project at St Macartan’s Primary School.

Mr Givan said the application for the multi-purpose hall remains on hold due to ‘budget contraints’.

“I appreciate that the school would derive significant benefit from an extended multi-purpose hall which could be used for meals, PE and other curricular activities.

“However, I can only do so much with the budget made available to me and unfortunately, that means there is simply insufficient budget to enable the project at St Macartan’s Primary School to progress to tender and construction at the current time.

“I will continue to make a strong case for increased and sustained investment in our education system to ensure the capital funding allocated to education impacts positively on as many children and young people as possible.”