Minister criticised after new car park ruled out at Omagh school

AN assertion by Education Minister, Paul Givan, that there is no budget to complete a scheme to provide urgent car parking at St Conor’s Primary School has been criticised by the chair of Fermanagh and Omagh Council.

The Minister wrote to the council last month saying that the Stormont Department has an ‘extremely constrained’ capital budget position. He added that this money had been ‘necessarily directed’ to keeping schools open and safe and providing places for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

But now, council chair Barry McElduff has described the response as ‘not credible’. He said it was clear that the Minister had previously directly intervened and funded minor capital works in other areas.

“The situation at St Conor’s is now an emergency one,” Cllr McElduff claimed.

“I can totally understand the frustration of everyone concerned, including parents, schoolchildren, school staff and residents. There is no solution in place, particularly as we approach another September.

“Where there is a will, there is a way and I say to the Minister that Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is more than willing to work with the Department of Education to accommodate them reasonably with available land.”

Cllr McElduff said that he has written once again in the past week to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Roads to remind them of their need to introduce interim measures aimed at making the situation safer.

“Residents must have access to their homes and the whole area needs to be made safer for everyone with improved traffic flow and associated safety measures,” he added.

Earlier this summer, a round table meeting attended by officials from the Departments for Infrastructure and Education, as well as local councillors, community representatives and school staff was held.

Among the proposals being forwarded to ease the situation in the interim are yellow lines to curb the parking problems.