The first sod has been turned at the site of a new eight-classroom school at Scoil Phádraig Naofa in Athy, Co Kildare.

Scoil Phádraig Naofa will be located on a 15-acre site in Athy.

The plan for the site will allow up to four primary schools to be located on the one campus.

Phase One, a new eight-classroom building for Scoil Átha Í, was completed in 2008.

Scoil Phádraig Naofa is located in this new eight-classroom school.

Phase Two of the plan will deliver a second eight-classroom school in early October into which Scoil Phádraig Naofa will move.

-- Advertisement --

Scoil Átha Í will then occupy the vacated building.

Earlier this year, Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe announced that the second phase of the building project for Scoil Phádraig Naofa would start architectural planning.

This will provide a 16-classroom extension and a general purpose hall to the school being delivered in October.

"The new school will be of enormous benefit not only to today's students but also to the future generations that will be educated here and to the wider community," said the Minister.

"This year, I will spend over €610m on the school building programme across the country - a level of capital investment that reflects this government's commitment to continuing the programme of sustained investment in primary and post-primary school," said Minister O'Keeffe.

(PR/JM)