Schools excluded from priority building list left in limbo as Labour accuse Minister of politicising school building programme
Schools excluded from priority building list left in limbo as Labour accuse Minister of politicising school building programme - The Labour Party
- Nearly 10% of all priority school building projects have been allocated to Galway, the Minister’s own constituency.
- Schools elsewhere face years of further delay despite long-standing commitments.
- Children and school staff are paying the price for political decision-making.
Labour’s Education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has called on the Minister for Education to urgently explain how schools were selected for inclusion on the priority list of school building projects published today as part of the Sectoral Investment Plan for Education and Youth.
Deputy Kenny said:
“The Department of Education has today identified 105 priority school building projects for tender or construction in 2026 and 2027. It is impossible to ignore the fact that almost 10% of these projects are located in Galway, the Minister’s own constituency, while many schools in other parts of the country, including those facing severe capacity pressures, have been excluded entirely.
“The Minister cannot play politics with school building projects. Decisions about school infrastructure must be based on need, demographic pressure and educational outcomes, not constituency boundaries or political advantage.
“These decisions directly affect children’s learning environments and the working conditions of school staff, and must be treated with the seriousness they deserve.
“The Minister must now clarify whether schools omitted from this list are effectively being told they will not even reach tender stage until 2028 at the earliest. There are schools that have been waiting for years, that are ready to proceed, and that were given explicit commitments by Government representatives. Today’s announcement suggests those promises are now being quietly set aside.
“There will be deep disappointment and anger in school communities across the country. Principals and boards of management are under extraordinary strain trying to accommodate children for September in overcrowded and unsuitable buildings. Teachers and special needs assistants are being asked to work in conditions that fall far short of what is acceptable.
“In the run-up to the 2024 elections, clear assurances were given to communities that school building projects would progress. For schools excluded from today’s list, those assurances now ring hollow. The Minister owes parents, staff and students a full explanation of the knock-on impact of this decision.
“For a small number of schools, today will bring long-awaited certainty. For many more, it will confirm that after years of waiting, they have once again been pushed to the back of the queue, with children and school staff paying the price.”