It’s unlikely that there will be “significant spend” this financial year on remedial works at St Patrick’s Grammar School, Armagh… despite the building being in immediate need of repair.
Several “serious and ongoing issues” with the school building were raised in the NI Assembly in October of this year.
Speaking to structural and maintenance issues within St Patrick’s Grammar School – which was originally constructed in 1838 – back in October Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan detailed the school’s “longstanding history” in Armagh which he said had been “developed and added to over the years” and is now home to over 850 pupils and 120 staff.
Explained Mr Boylan: “Both the original school building and the two-storey wing of the school which was added on in 1907 are uninsulated and are therefore having an impact on the school’s interior.
“Areas of the external render are cracked and moisture is subsequently being trapped and sealed within the walls causing issues internally with dampness.
“Majorly, the windows and heating system within the school are much in need of attention. The heating in the school is primarily a one-pipe system and is inefficient to operate.
“The boiler and pumps are far away from the 1907 block and there is a large volume of water required to be heated and fed through the system. The staff tell me the radiators never get hot.”
SDLP MLA, Justin McNulty has now requested the Education Minister to detail whether any of the £5.2 million for essential school maintenance, and £3.2 million for schools’ minor works and energy-saving solutions agreed in the December Monitoring round will be used to address remedial works at the Grammar School.
The Minister, Paul Givan responded to say the additional capital allocations in the December Monitoring round will address “in-year pressures” and allow progress to be made on “urgent capital works across the schools’ estate”.
He continued: “The inescapable remedial works at St Patrick’s Grammar School are currently being planned by my Department and the Education Authority and are being progressed as a priority.”
However, he stated that due to the “complexity of the works and the likely need for decant accommodation”, that it would be “unlikely” that there would be significant spend this financial year with any required spend this financial year to be met from “within the existing non-controlled minor works budget”.
