Statement on Carpenterstown Educate Together National School

Following recent discussions with the Department of Education and Skills, regarding the opening of Carpenterstown Educate Together National School, we regret to state that the Department has deferred the opening of the school and we are not in a position to offer Junior Infant places for September 2014.

Correspondence to Educate Together from the Department in part reads: “Following further review of the demographics for the area and assessment of the supplementary information provided by Educate Together I can confirm that it is intended to defer the establishment of the school. We will arrange an early meeting with you to discuss the potential position in relation to 2015”.

Following on from research the Department has conducted, Educate Together has been informed that there are Junior Infant places available in the local Carpenterstown schools for September 2014.

Educate Together remains fully committed to establishing Carpenterstown Educate Together NS, the demand for which has been comprehensively demonstrated on two separate occasions (in 2008 when Educate Together was granted sanction to open a school by the New Schools Advisory Committee whose decision was overturned by the then Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, and again in 2012 under the current arrangements for establishing new schools).

Educate Together will continue to work with local parents to vindicate their right to send their children to a school of their choice. 

If you wish to discuss this issue further, please feel free to contact Gerry McKevitt (Educate Together’s Regional Development Officer – Leinster North) on 087 2635 703 or by email.