Changes on the way for St. Joseph's School in Ferryhouse, Clonmel

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has announced that it has agreed plans to develop services provided to young people in St. Joseph’s School, Ferryhouse, Clonmel into what it describes as "a more current and suitable setting". 

It says that these planned developments will ensure that the services provided in St. Joseph’s are of a high quality and based on the identified needs of children and young people in the region, while holding true to the site’s long history in the local community.

In collaboration with HIQA (Health Information and Quality Authority), Tusla says it has identified a number of areas for improvements in St. Joseph’s School. 

"Tusla is proactively making developments to align services with best practice and quality standards, and to facilitate the best possible outcomes for children and young people".

Donal McCormack, Acting National Service Director of Residential Childcare Services, Tusla said “Every effort will be made to minimise the impact of developments on the local community. We are aware that the facilities on-site are an important resource for the local community and in regular use by many, including children and families. 

"This is something we are very proud of and if at any stage the developments will impact on public access to the campus, we will notify the local community.”

The developments will include current residents being relocated, and new independent centres being opened. These planned developments are expected to take in the region of two to three years.

The developments are being managed by an Oversight Development Group made up of relevant stakeholders and led by Tusla.

St. Joseph’s School has been a feature of life in Clonmel since it was founded in 1884 and has provided residential care to children for over 130 years. 

The school has undergone many changes throughout its history, transferring from the Rosminian Order to the Department of Education, to the HSE and finally in 2013 to Tusla.

Tusla acknowledges the strong support from and relationships with the local community, organisations and groups which the service has enjoyed over its long history. 

It says it hopes this will continue, as St Joseph’s enters the next stage of its development.