ETB agrees health and safety audit at Donegal school

Donegal's long-running Three School Campus campaign may be progressing, according to Councillor Rena Donaghey (Fianna Fáil).

Speaking to Donegal Live, Cllr Donaghey, who is vice chairperson of Donegal ETB, said that organisation had received communication from the Department of Education on the matter, which suggested “some progress had been made.”

The three Schools involved in the project are Crana College, Coláiste Chineál Eoghain; and Gaelscoil Bhun Cranncha, which are all in Buncrana.

Cllr Donaghey said: “At this stage, I would give the Department of Education email a cautious welcome. It was received last week and was circulated to Donegal ETB members at our monthly meeting, which took place, via digital communication due to the coronavirus restrictions, on Tuesday, March 24.

“The Department of Education said: 'As you are aware, we are pursuing a number of options in respect of all the schools, three schools.

'Reports are needed for the different site options and we are hopeful of being in receipt of these in respect of one of the site options very soon. This will allow us to determine next steps with a view to taking the potential acquisition forward.'

“Hopefully, we will see progress on the Three School Campus project in the next few months,” said Cllr Donaghey.

Cllr Donaghey also said Donegal ETB had agreed to a request for a health and safety audit at Crana College.

She added: “The Board of Management of Crana College in Buncrana requested a health and safety audit of the school be carried out by the ETB.

“The ETB have agreed to that request and will commission an appropriate consultant to carry it out.”

In the last number of months, Crana College has mounted a campaign for a new school. It is believed the ETB health and safety audit is designed to progress that campaign.

According to Cllr Donaghey, there are so many young people in the corridors at one time in the school, it which could be “problematic if an evacuation was required.”