Department officials to inspect closed Westport Gaelscoil

Neill O'Neill

REPRESENTATIVES from the Department of Education are expected to travel to Westport this week to inspect Gaelscoil Na Cruaiche, which was forced to close early last month following concerns relating to the integrity of it’s roof structure. As reported in detail in The Mayo News last week, the Board of Management and Principal of the five year-old building on the Carrowholly Road acted on a recommendation of engineers who inspected the school, following concerns they raised with the Department over leaks and other matters with the roof, and an issue with the sewerage system.
Two separate engineering companies were employed to survey the building, one locally and one from Dublin, and both gave damning reports, particularly on the state of the roof.
“There are a number of areas where it was noted that compliance with building control regulations and the associated technical guidance documents have been breached,” one of the reports states, while the decision to shut the school came off the back of an engineers letter which stated: “It would be complacent to suggest that the school is fit for purpose, but to the contrary, matters of health and safety have no compromise and therefore I would suggest that the building is not fit for purpose until all matters of structural integrity and health matters are resolved.”
Principal Mairéad Ní RuΡin told The Mayo News last week that she feels the problems can be rectified by September 1 if the ‘powers that be’ agree that the work needs to be done over the summer months. It is hoped by the parents and families of the 215 pupil and also the 20 staff, at Gaelscoil na Cruaiche, that this week’s meeting and inspection will be a first step on that road.