Bishopstown school enjoys well-deserved praise
A Cork city school has received congratulations from Dáil Éireann after completing a transformative decarbonisation project.
St Gabriel’s Special School in Bishopstown underwent extensive remodelling, refurbishment, and energy retrofitting as part of the project, all while continuing to function as a school.
The project was delivered under the Schools Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme.
The Government-funded programme is targeting improved energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reduction by 51%, testing deep retrofit and low carbon heating solutions.
Principal David Thomas said: “This is a very exciting time for our pupils and staff. This has been a long time coming for our pupils and staff who have been based here in Bishopstown since 1998.
“We are already reaping the benefits of a purpose-built environment, catering to the complex sensory needs for our children and adolescents with severe intellectual disabilities, and will continue to do so for years to come.”
The Pathfinder Programme is jointly funded by the Department of Education and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
Congratulating St Gabriel’s Special School, Minister for Education Norma Foley TD, said: “The delivery of this transformational project while maintaining school operations is a credit to the great collaboration and understanding between the teams involved from the school, my Department, the SEAI, and the design and contracting teams.”
Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Josepha Madigan TD, added: “The reconfiguration works undertaken by St Gabriel’s have helped to optimise their existing building to provide a refreshed and modern school environment which supports pupils’ physical, educational, and sensory needs. I would like to wish them all the very best for the future as they settle into their upgraded environment.”
To date, the Pathfinder Programme has retrofitted 54 schools across Ireland with another 24 schools currently at various stages of the programme.