2026-02-19

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this topic for debate and the Minister of State for being here. There should be no need to bring this issue, which is the annual crisis of school place shortages in Dunshaughlin, County Meath, before this House. I thank the parents who contacted me and my colleague Councillor Fionnan Blake. I also thank Councillor Blake for his hard work on this issue. The parents' stories are the reason I am standing here. They are the reason this debate is happening. No parent should have to spend their evenings worrying about whether their child will have a place to go to school in their local community. They should not have to talk to local and national media or have their case pleaded on the floor of the Dáil for what a basic, fundamental and constitutional right. The families of Dunshaughlin have run out of patience with last-minute crisis management. They need action and they need it now. This time last year we were in a similar position with scores of children on waiting lists and without an offer of a school place. This year is worse and significantly worse. Last year, additional capacity was provided after much consternation, effort and energy and it was very welcome for the families it helped, but here we are again, and it is even worse. If no additional capacity is added beyond what is currently planned, we will have children without school places come September. One local school, St. Seachnall's National School, has already been unable to accommodate more than 80 children. Dunshaughlin has experienced significant population growth, which is to be welcomed. It is a vibrant and thriving community, but the Department of Education and Youth has failed year after year to plan for this growth. People are astounded by this. We are sending our kids to school to learn their ABCs, but surely this is the ABC of government, management, planning and of delivery. These children did not fall from the sky. Houses were built and the community is expanding. The need for local services is apparent. They are literally in county development plans, which have set it forward, but the services are not there. Successive Ministers have been aware of the demographic pressures, but, again, we are facing a situation where families are in limbo, waiting to see if their child has a school place to go to in a few short months. It is not good enough. Every child has a constitutional to a primary school place. It is not a privilege. It is a right and it is a fundamental duty of the Minister to ensure that right is upheld. I am asking for three specific things. The first is a commitment from the Minister of State for extra mainstream school places for Dunshaughlin for this coming September. I do not want a promise to look into it or a letter saying that it is something that will be reviewed or considered. We need a guarantee. These children are there and the demand is apparent. We need additional school places for the baby infant intake in Dunshaughlin. Second, the Minister and the Department must engage directly and immediately with local schools. These schools and their principals are doing tremendous work, but the Department needs to work with them urgently to arrange the delivery of extra places whether that means additional teachers, resources or temporary accommodation. Third, we cannot keep doing this every year. We need a plan for mainstream and special class provision for this growing community. We cannot be doing this every year.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I will set out the position on behalf of Minister, Deputy Naughton, regarding the shortage of mainstream school places in Dunshaughlin, County Meath. The provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post-primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs, is a priority for me, the Minister and the Department. Preschool and primary school enrolments at a national level have been in decline for some years, which, in turn, is leading to a reduction in demand for primary school places in rural areas and many urban areas across the country. The downward demographic trend is now apparent for the first time at post-primary level. While the Department is aware of the enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in areas like Dunshaughlin, it is important to note that enrolment pressures can be driven by a number of issues, including applications from outside the area and schools of choice. Notwithstanding the above, in some areas, demographic pressures and other factors are driving the requirement for additional school places. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In addition to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act 1998. The educational welfare services of the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of educational welfare officers. The provision of additional school places can be required in a very small number of areas. This can be facilitated by a range of strategies, some of which may involve additional accommodation but also by optimising the existing spaces. Between 2020 and 2025, the Department has provided over €459 million in capital funding for Meath schools. Over this period, a total of 62 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are currently 14 school projects in County Meath under construction. Another six school projects will go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027, and this summer, ten schools are approved to undergo works as part of the summer works scheme and the climate action scheme. In addition, since 2020, a total of 119 special classes have been opened in the county, 12 of which were sanctioned for September 2026. With regards to the Deputy's concerns in relation to Dunshaughlin, a number of active projects at primary and post-primary level are in progress that will increase capacity. These include a new school building in Dunshaughlin, which will provide post-primary accommodation for 1,000 students and six special education classrooms. This project is at stage 4. In addition, there is a new school building project in progress for Dunshaughlin Community National School, which will provide eight mainstream classrooms and two special education classrooms. This project is also at stage 4. Furthermore, a total capital ceiling of €7.55 billion for 2026 to 2030 was allocated to the Department under the national development plan. This is a very significant investment in our education and youth sectors and will help deliver on our commitment to have a world-class education system that supports every learner to reach their full potential. Our sectoral investment plan published last month sets out the Department's approach to prioritised investment in school infrastructure to ensure that every child has a school place and to support the overall operation of the school system and youth sector in terms of capital infrastructure. There is a strong focus in our plan on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs, particularly in regard to special education and also areas experiencing huge growth in their student population.

The Minister of State has spoken for over four minutes and not a single word is of any benefit to community in Dunshaughlin and parents who are without school places for this September. He talked about future plans and investment. What solution is going to be put in place for these students? There could be in the region of 80 or more, hopefully slightly fewer, who do not have school places for this September. I am seeking a response to that, not what is going to happen in the future. Investment in the community national school is very welcome but the minute it is built it will be too small. We waited long enough for it. I welcome the diggers on the ground but the minute it is built, it will be too small. I have specific asks. I ask the Minister of State to recognise there is a shortage of school places for this September, in significant numbers. That is without a doubt and the offers have gone out and the responses are coming back in. He will have a very clear picture of that if he makes contact with the schools in Dunshaughlin. He should identify where additional capacity is going to be delivered. In the first instance, commit to additional capacity for the town. It is needed, without a doubt. I ask the Minister of State to commit to it for this September, identify where he is going to deliver it and provide assurances to parents, in the quickest possible timeframe, that capacity will be there, the children will receive an offer and they will have a place in their local school. I have far too many cases I can talk to him about but he will be very well aware that there are no crèche places. There is no early childhood care and education programme. There is no after-school provision. Parents are faced with the challenge of not having a place for their child in their local area. It turns their lives upside down and lifts their children away from their local communities. It is deeply unfair. I ask the Minister of State to please address those facts. What is the solution for these families for September?

I take the seriousness of the point the Deputy is making in relation to Dunshaughlin. He has outlined the challenges in an area with a growing population of students and young people. I will take the point the Deputy made on the national school that when that is completed, the project will need to move on. I know other parts of the country as well where there are significant challenges in meeting second level education demand in particular but also in the primary sector. I will go back and engage fully with the Department to ensure we do understand and there is a roadmap to try and facilitate every student. In regard to the number of places in mainstream schools, it is important that we have certainty on that. This month, there will be enrolment letters going out and whether they are accepted or not, that will add further pressure. I will take the point the Deputy has made and I will certainly report back to him with a further response.