A new Government Plan will provide major opportunities for communities all over Clare to make use of school buildings and resources for after-school child care and a range of locally-based activities.
Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey believes the Action Plan on Education 2016-2019 announced on Thursday by Education Minister Richard Bruton, will allow community groups and private providers to apply to use school facilities outside school hours.
“Schools are at the heart of their communities and are more successful the more they can collaborate with other organisations within the community. The Action Plan authorises the Department of Education to explore opportunities for the use of school buildings for after-school care and out-of-hours use to support local communities and make people’s lives better,” Deputy Carey said.
Carey revealed that he will be monitoring the plan closely to ensure it delivers for the County. “This will allow all sections of the community to get added benefit from the significant investment in schools all over the county. It means that sports clubs, development groups and voluntary organisations will be able to access a valuable local resource.
“Despite the major restrictions on public spending, we have managed to finance the construction of new schools or major extensions in Ennis, Tulla, Sixmilebridge, Quin, Meelick, Clonlara, Killaloe, Ennistymon, Spanish Point and Shannon”.
The plan will run over the next three years and will comprise of hundreds of actions to be implemented over the period, with a focus on disadvantage, skills, and improvements within the education service. It will be updated annually with implementation reports published every three months.