On behalf of this Government I was delighted last week (June 5th) to announce that Our Lady's Secondary School in Templemore is to be completely refurbished and extended. It is to receive a very large multi million euro allocation.

This follows several meetings between myself and representatives of the school that begun in detail on September 21st, 2012. Indeed only on Thursday May 30th I brought the Principal of the school Patricia Higgins, school teacher Seamus Burke and the Chairman of the Board of Management John Lynagh to meet Minister for
Education Ruairi Quinn TD. This was a very successful meeting. Minister Quinn followed up with me that he was very impressed by the representation made by the school and the fact that I had made them a priority. He assured me that their new school would be funded once money became available and he honoured his word 6 days later.

I am delighted to have delivered this massive project for the town of Templemore and surrounds. Our Lady's Templemore is a fantastic school with brilliant staff.

Of course this project will also bring with it local employment and revenue to the town so this is a fantastic announcement.

This school redevelopment is ready to go, so I look forward to the competition of this excellent project.  I expect the tendering process to be completed before the end of the year'