Galway Education Minister declines invite as concerns grow over class sizes and crumbling school buildings
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton (FG) has declined an invitation to attend a special meeting of Galway City Council as concerns are raised over high class sizes, crumbling school buildings, leaking prefabs and a severely underfunded school building programme.
That's according to Cllr Alan Curran (Soc Dem) who has highlighted that no new schools are planned for Galway City over the next five years, despite projections that its population could increase by up to 45,000 by 2040.
“As it stands, there are no plans for any new school within the city over the next five years, though there are proposals to build new campuses for schools such as The Bish, Educate Together, and Cuan na Gaillimhe national school, all of which have been delayed,” he said.
“As a secondary school teacher and parent of three young children, ensuring we have adequate education capacity and services is a priority for me.
“Primary and secondary schools experience high class sizes, poor allocation of resources, crumbling school buildings, leaking and damp prefabs and a school building program that is severely underfunded and beset by delays.
“Waiting lists for some secondary schools in the city run to over 400 names each school year.”
He expressed disappointment at the Minister's decision not to attend despite unanimous support from city councillors.
He said the invitation was extended based on concerns raised during discussions around the City Development Plan.
The issue was particularly pressing given that “thousands of new houses and apartments will be built across the city over the next few decades” including at Ardaun, Murrough, Castlegar, the Docks, Dyke Road and Sandy Road.
“Where will all these families send their children to school?” he asked.
“Our population will grow by up to 45,000 over the next two decades, the time to invest in education is now.”
In a response to the Galway City Tribune, the Department of Education said Minister Naughton was not in a position to attend the meeting but had provided a detailed written response on October 20 outlining its assessment of current and future school provision.
The Department said the issues raised by councillors had also been addressed through submissions to the Galway City Development Plan process and the ongoing Variation No. 3 process.
It said officials continue to work closely with Galway City Council planners to identify future school accommodation requirements arising from housing and population growth.
The Department also highlighted more than €289 million in capital funding for schools across Galway since 2020, during which 107 schools have benefited from new buildings, extensions, modular accommodation or climate-related projects.
It said 11 school projects are currently under construction, while 10 projects are included in plans to progress to tender or construction during 2026 and 2027.
Meanwhile, the new campus for St Joseph's College, the Bish, at Dangan will be considered for inclusion in the next tranche of school building projects, expected to be announced in 2027.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme