IT COULD TAKE up to a year to repair structural issues that have forced the closure of part of a north Dublin school.

Transition Year students at Ardgillan Community College in Balbriggan have been asked to remain at home and other classes have been moved because of the issues.

A total of 200 students have been affected by the 18 classrooms that have been put out of use.

The phase 1 school building was completed in 2009, with phase 2 completed in 2015.

A fire safety assessment of phase 1 was carried out and necessary works are currently being done to address issues flagged during this assessment.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme today, CEO of the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board Paddy Lavelle said that fire safety works being carried out at the school identified that ties which should be holding to the outer leaf of the building to the inner leaf were missing.

Lavelle said that Transition Year students have been asked not to come to school but that he expects all students to be provided for after the upcoming mid-term break. He added, however, that some students may have classes outside the school.

“We’d expect that after the mid-term break we’ll be able to accommodate all students in some place, whether it’s there in the school premises or elsewhere. In other accommodation in the area or in prefabs on the site. It’ll take some time to get prefabs on the site,” he said. 

Lavelle said it was difficult to give a timeline for completion of the remedial works but that it could take some time.

Once the structural engineer opens up some more we’ll know more. But at the moment we have to leave the building unoccupied for safety reasons.

“It will take some time to remediate the works, so it could take up to a year.”