The vacant building which was home to St Paul’s Primary School on the Borris Road in Portlaoise will be demolished in the coming months.
The building has been idle since the students finished last June and moved to the new Holy Family schools in Aghnaharna just off the Stradbally Road in September- and has suffered significant vandalism and become a site for much anti-social behaviour over the last couple of months.
At least two fires have been started at the building and as our photos taken earlier this week show, it has been vandalized beyond recognition.
The building and site is owned by Portlaoise Parish – but they are giving it over to the Department of Education who will build a new school for St Francis School, who are currently based on the Timahoe Road in a building past its sell by date.
Fr Paddy Byrne, chairman of the Board of Management in St Francis, has confirmed that the St Paul’s site will be handed over to the Department of Education on May 9, and the department will then formally tender and appoint someone to demolish it.
It’s understood that the building will be knocked in June/July with the new build to start in the Autumn.
It is hoped that students will be able to move into the purpose-built school by September 2019.
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