Planned Ériu move met with further protests

The Parents Association for Ériu Community College and local elected reps are fighting the Department of Education tooth and nail over a controversial planned move.

The Department of Education is refusing to budge from its decision to move Ériu Community College 8km out of its current catchment area of Ongar to Hollywoodrath.

The decision, which was made in late October, has been met with stern opposition from local residents and elected reps.

The plan is due to come into play from 2028 but various local elected reps have shown unity in opposing the move.

A protest was held outside the Dáil in late October, and a fresh protest was held locally on November 16.

The Eriu Community College Parents Association said “the impact on our current students and their siblings, along with our growing community, will be huge.”

They noted that both areas – Ongar and Hollywoodrath – need a secondary school but it should not come at the expense of an existing school.

It has been noted that once the move comes into play in 2028, parents, staff and students will need to travel 8km across Dublin 15 simply to attend school.

The association said there has been “no consultation with parents, the school board, or even councillors.”

“There has been no explanation from the Department of Education about the rationale for the relocation, and no indication that the Department of Education will protect  current resources and teaching staff if numbers drop.”

The move has drawn criticism from various local elected reps, most notably Sinn Féin TD Paul Donnelly, Green TD and leader Roderic O’Gorman, and general election candidates Senator Emer Currie of Fine Gael, Labour councillor John Walsh and Solidarity councillor Ruth Coppinger.

Notably, Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Finance Jack Chambers has made no public statement on the issue, likely due to fellow Cabinet colleague Norma Foley being Minister for Education.

In October, Donnelly called the decision “disgraceful,” and raised the issue in the Dáil in late October.

He was unable to raise the issue with Minister for Education Norma Foley directly before the election was called.

In late October, with Fianna Fáil’s James Lawless stepping in for Foley in the Dáil, Lawless said “I reiterate that the Minister has stated that Department of Education officials are very willing to engage with the patron on this matter.”

The Department of Education has seemingly been unwilling to engage with local residents or elected reps since late October, hence the need for a fresh protest in mid-November.

O’Gorman called the decision “illogical” and joined parents and students at the mid-November protest, saying “both Ongar and Hollywoodrath need their own standalone secondary schools.”

Walsh said, “it simply beggars belief that the Minister for Education is attempting to move Ériu Community College from Ongar, just as 1200 new homes are due to be built over the next five to ten years.”

Walsh sits on the board of management at Eriu Community College, and said the Department of Education is refusing to meet with local parents to hear their concerns.

“Eriu was always intended to serve the Blanchardstown West educational planning area, which includes Ongar and Barnwell,” he explained.

“There is no precedent for moving a new school out of its catchment area as the condition for securing a permanent building; this decision shows a complete disregard for children, parents and the school community.”

He said the “bizarre” move is “yet another example of appalling planning and disregard for local communities in Dublin 15 by the Minister and departmental officials.”

Heading into the general election, three of Dublin West’s four TDs are notably in positions of power; Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar is a former Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers is Minister for Finance, and O’Gorman is Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Despite Dublin West being incredibly well-represented in Cabinet, relative to the rest of the country, this influence has not resulted in tangible benefit in a situation such as this.

Walsh said “it is particularly disappointing that Government ministers in the constituency have not even been to organise a meeting between the Department of Education and parents concerned about the future of their school. Government ministers should insist that the Minister for Education engage directly with parents to hear their concerns.’

Solidarity councillor Ruth Coppinger called the plan move a “betrayal” to parents who expected the permanent site would be at or near its current location, but certainly in the catchment area for Ériu.

“This decision by the Department of Education is nothing short of a money-saving measure to put off providing another school in Dublin 15 for as long as possible.”

“With the vast wealth and billions in surplus, we must demand investment to create fully free public education, transport, childcare and health..

She said that campaigners have done “brilliant work” – organising multiple meetings and protests to ensure that their children are able to receive an education near their home.

Speaking to the Irish Times in late October, when the move was first announced local mother Filipa Fernandes, who has two children attending the school, said news of the planned move was like “having a bomb dropped on us.”

She told the newspaper that the lack of public transport in the area was a major cause for concern, with the planned 8km route not feasible for her.

“There is no bus service to get there – nothing at all.”