Richard Bruton, T.D. Minister for Education and Skills, has officially turned the sod on the Maynooth post-primary school campus project.

Costing some €30 million, the project is the single largest school infrastructural project funded by the State to date. 

The scheme is being delivered on the Department's behalf by the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board. The modern campus will comprise two post-primary schools catering for 1,000 pupils each and a standalone sports hall which will be shared between the schools.

One building is replacement accommodation for Maynooth Post Primary School. The second building will provide permanent accommodation for the recently established (2014) Maynooth Community College. Both schools will share the stand alone sports hall.

The project is being delivered under the Department's School Construction Programme. Construction work commenced in January 2017 with the first students expected to arrive January 2019.

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Speaking at the event, Minister Bruton said: "I am delighted to visit Maynooth to commemorate this landmark development. Through the Action Plan for Education, which aims to make the Irish education and training service the best in Europe, we are investing hundreds of millions every year under our school capital investment programme to provide new schools and extensions to benefit thousands of students across the country. Today is a great day for the whole school community. Students in Maynooth will greatly benefit from these new facilities for decades to come.

"Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board and its Design Team deserve great credit for all their hard work in bringing this complex project to site. There is no doubt that the new campus will be a great addition to Maynooth and will continue to be for generations to come.

"The two schools sharing the campus have a different ethos with one being Catholic and the other being multi-denominational. I commend the two schools, each with its own ethos, on their cooperation, which will continue when both schools move to their purpose built accommodation.

"The patronage determination process will continue to play its role in achieving the Government's target of 400 multi-or non-denominational schools by 2030."

Sean Ashe, Chief Executive, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board also said: "Today is the beginning of a new era for second level education in Maynooth. I would like thank the Minister and his officials for their advice and continuous support. I would also like to thank KWETB staff particularly those in our buildings unit for their perseverance and diligence and finally I would like to give due credit to students, parents and staffs of our schools who have waited patiently for this fabulous campus to open."

(MH/LM)