2026-02-19

A considerable number of Members are here to deal with issues that relate specifically to education. As Deputy O'Rourke said, unfortunately we keep having to bring up these issues about finding appropriate places for children, be that in mainstream or in special classes and schools. We really need to not be trying to deal with issues like this on the floor of the Dáil but sometimes we have no choice in the matter. This week, people were particularly exasperated about the reality of cuts to special needs assistant, SNA, numbers. We all know the huge work that is done by SNAs. I know even on a personal basis that my son Turlough would not be able to operate if it was not for the SNAs he has had in both primary and secondary school. It is more than a pause we need; we need a rethink on the criteria. That should be a demand from everybody on this floor not only in opposition but even in government. While we welcome the pause, we need to see real movement. When we are talking about appropriate accommodation and spaces, it is a question of where to start. I am going to deal with a number of schools. I will deal with St. Mochta's NS in Louth village. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach also received correspondence on this. Unfortunately, I have had significant correspondence over and back with the Department. It finished with: "Your email states that you endeavour to "ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes at a local level, where the picture can quickly evolve due to new large scale residential development." The school said that its situation has "evolved very quickly due to a new large scale residential development" but this was flagged last year and the enrolment has increased by 40 children in the past year due to construction in the area. A new development of 58 houses is nearing completion in Louth village but, again, the correspondence from the school states: It is highly likely that we will once again reach developing school status, leaving us then with 3 extra classes and teachers, with no accommodation for them. • Our SET teachers currently work in corridors, cupboards and staff room (which in no way is fit for purpose). • Our school building, originally built for 5 classes, is expected to house currently 8 classes, and come September it will most likely be 9 classes. That is before I go near what the parents are sending in. The Minister of State can imagine that because I read some of it into the record previously. I spoke to the Minister of State previously about additional autism classes for Shelagh National School. He came back to say there was interaction with the school, but I am sorry to say that we have not seen any real movement. The school principal is not happy in any way, shape or form, nor are a considerable number of parents who have contacted me. It is not the first time that other elected representatives and I have brought up the issue of Monksland National School. Again, plans went in for a permanent extension in 2023 comprising two autism classrooms, one support room, one common area, a kitchen, a living skills room, toilets, a storeroom and an office. It was provided with two modular units, which are being used to their full capacity. We are dealing with teachers and SNAs who are having their lunch either in storage units or their cars. That just tells us what is happening. The school is making the most use of what it has, but it is not enough. I visited the school. We need to see action in this regard. The over and back from the Department is disgraceful.

The four issues brought to my attention prior to coming to the House concern St. Mochta’s, Monksland and Shelagh national schools and car parking issues at the new build for Ardee Educate Together primary school. The Deputy raised other issues that I might come back to in my closing remarks. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Department of education has invested a serious amount of money in the sectoral investment plan for the period 2026 to 2030, which involves a strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. From the total of €7.55 billion being invested via this plan, it is envisaged that approximately €5 billion will be used for project roll-out to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the large-scale, additional accommodation, modular and annual September accommodation needs programmes. Over the course of this year and next, there will be construction work on some 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide 57,000 additional and modernised school places. with a strong special educational needs focus in all projects. The first school referred to is a co-educational Catholic primary school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Armagh. It has an enrolment in the current academic year of 182 pupils, including two special education classes. The school submitted an application under the additional school accommodation scheme in 2025. The application is under assessment, and officials are in ongoing contact with this school. The second school is a co-educational Catholic school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Armagh. It has an enrolment this year of 139 pupils, including two special classes. The school applied for additional accommodation in 2022, and on foot of that application had modular accommodation comprising two special education classrooms and one special education tuition room delivered in May 2023. The third school is a co-educational primary school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Armagh. It has an enrolment of 82, including pupils in its special education class, which was established at this school in September 2024. In October 2025, the school submitted an application for additional accommodation for two mainstream classrooms, and the application is currently being assessed by officials in the Department. I can confirm that the fourth school has a major project for a new school building that was devolved for delivery to Louth County Council. It is currently at stage 4, construction, of the architectural design process. The Department is engaging with the local authority regarding a proposal on the provision of additional car parking spaces. Louth County Council has been and will continue to engage with the school authorities regarding this project. At a national level, primary enrolments are projected to decline by almost 100,000 over a ten-year period. Given the general downward direction of overall enrolments in the area, the Department's focus for the assessment of such additional accommodation applications will be to analyse the extent to which enrolments at the school and neighbouring schools are serving the local area in the first instance. We are looking carefully at all applications to ensure we maximise what we have in terms of additional accommodation for the four schools raised by the Deputy. Some of the schools are at the very start of the application process. I assure him that the Department is working through the applications and will be in contact with the school authorities shortly with further information.

With regard to Ardee Educate Together, I met the design team and Louth County Council alongside the principal. In fairness, we were told there is a proposal. I accept that it is late in the game. The building project is fabulous, as I know, having visited the site. We really need to get this issue sorted or it will be chaos on the morning of the opening of the school. There are a number of autism classes. We need to ensure that the children can arrive without a level of chaos. I ask the Minister of State to follow up so we can ensure that the communication on how those proposals are going happens straightaway. It frightens me when I hear the term “under assessment”. I accept the Minister of State's point that some of these are technically new applications. However, some of that is after a considerable number of years of over and back between principals and the Department. The Minister of State can see the pile of papers in front of me. It is correspondence between the Department and these schools. There is absolute frustration among the schools. The communication from Monksland National School to the Department reads, "Do you think it is appropriate that staff do not have a staff room to have their break and lunch?" That is the reality at the minute. Talk of assessments and demographics is not going to help that. It continues: Do you think it is appropriate that pupils cannot access physical education and that their engagement with it is entirely weather dependent? Do you think it is fair and dignified that pupils are taught in corridors because we do not have enough special education teaching rooms to house our SET teachers? A communication from the school in Louth village states that its special education teachers are teaching in a cupboard, the staff room and the corridor due to lack of space. As the school hall is out of bounds, children with additional needs are missing out on vital movement and regulation breaks. We cannot be constantly dealing with these issues. We need to find a better way. I ask that there is better communication, and also that I be made aware of that communication. In the nicest way I can put it, the communication the schools have had has been subpar.

I take the point. There is ongoing engagement. On the Educate Together-----

They are not happy.

That project has been completed. As for the other two projects, one is moving through. Both of the applications were made in the autumn of last year. I will ask the Department to ensure there is a timely discussion with them. The Deputy made a point regarding school accommodation and children being located in buildings that are not fit for purpose. Children are in primary school for eight crucial years of their lives. We have to ensure that we have the best possible services available for them. The Deputy referred to movement breaks and so on. All of that is hugely important, as we all understand. I can assure the Deputy that the applications are being assessed. We are duty-bound to ensure that we are assessing them. We have to assess them to make sure we are doing the right thing. Some €7.55 billion will be put into the education system over the next number of years, and a huge amount of money has been spent on it in the past five years. That has brought the education stock up right across the country. We will continue to invest in education.