Parents and local representatives in Ballyfermot are calling for an immediate pause on the planned merging of three secondary schools over concerns the new building will not be ready.
It has been proposed by the Department of Education that St Dominic's, St Carita's and St John's secondary schools amalgamate into one building at St Seton's which will open in September 2022.
Until then, the school will run across three campuses.
Funding for the new school building was approved in February 2021 by the Department of Education.
However, parents are now calling for a pause on the amalgamation of the schools as the new school building is not yet ready.
The local group Ballyfermot Parents United was set up by parent Lisa Marie Hughes and they are calling for a complete pause on the amalgamation of the three schools.
She told Dublin Live that parents are not opposed to the amalgamation of the three schools, but rather are concerned that the promised new building is not completed and that students will be segregated over three different campuses.
Lisa Marie said: "Last Thursday parents received a letter over email from the three schools St Dominic's College, St John's College De La Salle and St Carita's College saying that the new school at St Seton's will open in September 2022.
"We don't oppose the amalgamation, we welcome it but what we don't want is for it to split between three campuses and for the children to be segregated."
Lisa Marie explained: "In 2019, we were told we would be getting a brand new state-of-the art extension at St John's with labs and classrooms, but there was no proposal for a P.E. hall for over 800 students.
"And the canteen facilities is not adequate as well, it would mean 750 children directly affected and pouring onto the streets of Ballyfermot each day to get their lunches which would be a health and safety issue."
In a letter emailed to parents on January 26, the school stated that 1st year students will start at St Seton's on Le Fanu Road (St John's campus), while 2nd years will be based in Drumfin Road (Carita's College), 3rd and 6th years will remain at their current schools and 4th years will be based Le Fanu Road but will also have classes at the other two campuses.
Lisa Marie said that she is worried for her own son who is in 4th year and will be moving to a new campus.
She said: "My son is in Transition Year and he has to move to a new campus with new teachers and no support. There was no consultation for the parents, students or the teachers on the amalgamation.
"Some students will have to leave midway through the day to go to a different campus if their class is based elsewhere."
Meanwhile, parents found out this week that planning permission has not been lodged for the new extension of the building.
Lisa Marie said: "On Monday we found out that there is no planning permission for the extension at St John's, to us the amalgamation feels very hurried.
"We are bamboozled by this decision and we as parents feel that students have not been given a say.
"The only solution we are prepared to accept is a complete pause on the amalgamation until the new building is ready, because we believe the upheaval would be too much for our children after everything with Covid and them being segregated.
"The best scenario for the children would be to leave them at their current campuses."
The group are planning to hold a public meeting on Tuesday, 15 February in Ballyfermot Civic Centre from 7pm.
Meanwhile, local Ballyfermot councillor Hazel De Nortuin said that a lot of worried parents have gotten onto her over their concerns about the delay in the construction of the new school building.
She said: "Parents have been onto me and are rightly angered about the amalgamation of St Dominic's, St Carita's and St John's.
"The original proposal is not what's being delivered. If the new school is not complete, they should stall on imposing the below measures. Teachers, students and parents deserve to be consulted on this."
In a statement issued to parents, the Le Cheile Schools Trust said: "We are listening and hearing the concerns of the students, staff, parents and community and we are revisiting the plans with the interim BOM and the DES and will share more information with all stakeholders in due course."
A spokesman for the Department of Education said: "St Seton's Secondary School, Le Fanu Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 will open on 1st September 2022.The amalgamation of three secondary schools with DEIS status, Caritas College, St John's College De La Salle and St Dominic's College, is resulting in one new large co-educational school which will cater for up to 800 pupils in its first year of operation.
"The Department of Education approved substantial capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation project for the construction of the required additional capacity at the Le Fanu Road site. This additional accommodation encompasses provision for 6 additional mainstream classrooms, science, home economics, textiles, art, music, DCG, technology rooms, and staff room in addition to 4 classrooms for children with special educational needs.
"The initial approval for the amalgamation was for it to occur when the new school building was complete, however at the request of the patrons, the Department agreed to the amalgamation taking effect from September 2022.
"The Department has been in engagement with the patrons in respect of the school accommodation and the patrons have indicated that the proposed arrangement is satisfactory pending the delivery of the new accommodation."
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