2026-03-26

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important Topical Issue. I raise the issue of the need for a new school building for Dunboyne junior and senior national schools. This is, in the first instance, an excellent school. The principal there is J.J. Brennan. There are 470 pupils in the senior school, while the junior school has in the region of 450 pupils, so it is a large school. The principal says the staff are very dedicated. It is the only school in Meath that has a platinum STEM award for science and technology. It is one of only 25 schools in the State with that award. The school is involved in local history projects, and clean air and pollinator projects. It also has a tremendous new drama club, with over 80 people involved. However, the condition of the hall has recently been commented on. The staff are absolutely excellent and dedicated, but the building is letting them down. The principal stated that while the school has a large number of accolades and awards, staff are working in terrible conditions, which is bad for the morale of staff and not fair on students. The chair of the senior and junior national school parents association, Karen Gunning, stated that while the staff handle the situations with professionalism and calm, the stark reality is that young children are being educated in infrastructure that is visibly failing. Hundreds of children continue to learn in an ageing building that no longer meets the needs of a modern primary school. The staff are excellent, incredible and innovative, but they do not have the facilities to match. The junior school is 30 years old but the senior school was built in 1971 and some of the prefabs are 20 years and older. The conditions are dire. The school has leaking roofs in five classrooms and uneven flooring. In one portacabin, the floor collapsed recently and the class had to be relocated. There are infestations of rodents - rats, mice and more. It is simply unacceptable. There are nine portacabins housing ten classes, and there is an autism class in one of the prefabs. There are proposals for another autism class in the senior school but there is a question regarding what space will used to accommodate it. Since the announcement of the first tranche of NDP funding, we know there are many disappointed schools which are not on the list. I make the case to the Minister of State that not all schools waiting to get onto the list for the next tranche of funding, or even the existing one, are equal. I make a specific case for Dunboyne junior and senior national schools. This project has been in the offing since 1995 and in planning, in some shape or form, since 2008. Its ten-year planning permission for works will expire in August. I have told the Minister of State this is an excellent school. I have also told him about the conditions staff and pupils are living with at the minute. The school's ten-year planning permission is about to expire and we need to get works commenced on this school before it does.

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, to outline to the House the current position regarding the school projects for Dunboyne junior and senior national schools, Station Road, Dunboyne, County Meath. These school building projects will deliver a new 24-classroom primary school, with additional classrooms for children with special educational needs for the senior school, and the construction of an eight-classroom extension planned refurbishment, with classrooms for children with special educational needs for the junior school. The school was authorised to proceed to stage 3, tender, in December 2020 and in May 2021, it was authorised to issue a letter of intent. The tender report relating to reserved specialist contractors was received from the design team and sent to the Department for review in July 2021. Due to the passage of time and in light of the increased construction costs, a decision was made in November 2021 to reprice the tenders. These were returned in quarter 1 of 2022. Following a review of the tender report, the authorisation to issue the letter of intent was issued in October 2022. In June 2024, a decision was taken to collapse the tender to allow for an increased scope of works, which, following consultation with the design team, was deemed necessary. Decarbonisation measures were included in the revised project scope in line with climate action objectives. The Department of Education and Youth received the revised stage 2b submission report for the senior school from the design team in June 2025. Department officials will carry out a full review of the stage 2b report, and the school and design team will be kept informed of the next steps. The Department is currently engaging with the design team regarding the process of removing and replacing the temporary accommodation at Dunboyne Junior National School. In July, the Government announced its largest capital allocation of over €7.5 billion for the Department of Education and Youth under the national development plan, NDP. As part of that allocation, we will see a strong emphasis on the provision of accommodation for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school placement needs. In relation to the roll-out of largescale projects and additional school accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance, and to provide necessary additional accommodation through targeted and prioritised projects. The NDP implementation plan for education has seen its first tranche announced, and that will be progressed this year and next. It will be revised on an ongoing basis.

I think the Minister of State has made my case for me. One TD after another will say that their local school or a school in their constituency should be included when it comes to funding under the NDP. Very few - I would suggest none - would say that the planning permission is about to expire and that the project, through no fault of the school, has been to the brink and back on two occasions. Covid interrupted this project. It was interrupted again in light of other circumstances. This school is in desperate need. Very particular circumstances obtain in the context of Dunboyne junior and senior national schools here. Will the Minister of State bring those circumstances to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton? The Minister of State has the details of how far advanced the project was before it was pulled back and of how far it was advanced again before demands were made by the Department in relation to decarbonisation. It is almost back to square one again. If this project does not proceed, there is a risk that the planning permission will expire in a handful of months. I have a written response from the Minister which states, "My department is conscious that the planning permission for the project ... will expire in August 2026 and the Department will work with the school authorities to identify an appropriate pathway forward". Will the Minister of State please explain what that means? As he will appreciate, the real concern is that the planning permission will expire, and then the whole school community will be back to square one. In the context of all the additional information on how we are going to spend funding in the future and identify priority projects for further tranches, this project will not be considered. I am asking that this project be put on the list of tranche 1 funding in light of the particular circumstances involved.

I again thank Deputy O’Rourke for bringing this important matter to the floor of the Dáil. I certainly agree with him regarding the time dependency relating to this project. I will take the points he has raised back to the Minister, Deputy Naughton, in the context of her consideration of the needs of Dunboyne junior and senior national schools and ask that they be considered as part of the ongoing Department-led prioritisation process. The consultation with the school patron and the school authority will continue. Notwithstanding that, any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the Department on a case-by-case basis. This project certainly deserves merit in that regard, particularly if it is at stage 2b and planning permission is already in place. The level of need has been identified, but there is then the prioritisation need and the approach the Department has taken in selecting the initial projects to progress. It is no different in County Mayo. Many schools there were not selected. I am sure many other Deputies would reflect the same situation in their constituencies. It is certainly reflected in the number of education Topical Issue matters that have been raised today. I will take the points raised by the Deputy back to the Minister.