The proposed new interim special school for County Monaghan will be at maximum capacity from the first day it opens. The former Tech building in Castleblayney has been earmarked as the location of the temporary school which is due to open to children with additional needs in September.
But, from the outset, parents have argued the school is unsuitable because classrooms are over two floors, the building is on a steep hill off a heavily congested road, without enough room for buses or parents to drop their children off safely. but, most of all because it will only have capacity for 18 children.
There are around 60 children with additional needs aged between four and 18 in Monaghan who will require a place in the county's first special school. But, families will now have to wait for one student to leave the facility to free up a place for another child on a waiting list until the permanent school is built.
CMETB is patron of the Monaghan Community School. At a recent meeting, the board was told the Castleblayney building is a start-up location "in order to meet the tight deadline for opening for the 2025/2026 academic year". Chairperson of the SNAP campaign group says many will miss out this year as they have done for so many years before (listen below):
