Galway Bay fm newsroom – IDA Ireland is rejecting criticism that it is trying to ‘block’ the building of a new school for Presentation College Athenry.
The planning application for the new school for Presentation College hit delays three years ago.
IDA owns a 90 hectare site in Athenry which adjoins a 20 hectare site which was bought for the new school building, known as the Raheen Woods site.
The Department of Education confirmed IDA Ireland raised concerns about the potential impact of the new school site on enterprise development.
The school has more than 11 hundred pupils and has to use 25 pre fabs in addition to the existing building to accommodate the numbers.
The department has been trying to acquire a different site for the past three years and says the acquisition process for an alternative site is underway.
In a statement to Galway Bay fm News, IDA Ireland says it has ‘actively engaged with all relevant bodies’ and will support the Department’s selection process in identifying the most appropriate site.
IDA says it’s willing to discuss the original site on the basis that other site options were found to be unworkable.
The Board of Management of the School has invited election candidates to a public meeting on the matter in the Raheen Woods Hotel in Athenry at 7.30 this evening.