A Cavan school has been described as a ‘victim of its own success’, attracting healthy numbers of pupils but bursting at the seams for the want of more space
Aontú Senator Sarah O’ Reilly has once again raised the issue of the long-awaited expansion to Bailieborough Community School, saying that it now has 700 pupils and five years on is still awaiting the badly needed extension.
Raising the issue in the Seanad where she requested a timeline for completion of the works she said.
“Five years ago, €2 million was approved for an extension as the school then had 650 pupils and was under huge pressure for space which had an adverse effect on pupils and teachers alike.
Despite further accommodation being approved under the additional school accommodation scheme a year later, no extra space has been realised and in December 2024, planning permission was granted for a significant three-storey extension.
We are five years on from a flurry of funding approval announcements and we still have not broken ground yet.
The school has made two requests to the Department in June and August for the design team to commence the prequalification process of the project, but it was denied both times. Time is money when it comes to increasing costs, be that inflation or year-on-year increases in the cost of material labour. In that context, I genuinely cannot understand why, other than for nonsensical bureaucratic reasons, this process cannot commence. I know the Department has to follow due diligence, but we are almost a year on from when planning permission was granted and we have no clear idea as to when we can expect to see the extension completed.
Responding on behalf of the Minister for Education, Helen McEntee, Deputy Kieran O’ Donnell said that the Department of Education and Youth is awaiting the submission of the stage 2b post-planning report and will progress the project once this has been submitted for evaluation.
He said that the report must include all statutory requirements associated with the planning process and said that it is not possible to predict when this school building will go to construction and be completed, as progress depends on many contingent factors that can arise throughout the process.
Expressing her deep frustration with this response, Senator O’ Reilly said that while she fully understands that due diligence is necessary in line with the public infrastructure guidelines, the people of Bailieborough are running out of patience.
“It’s really vexing. We have been talking about this expansion since 2020 and the need has only become more pressing, with enrolments climbing steadily every year as the population of Bailieborough continues to grow. I cannot see why the pre-evaluation process cannot go ahead. I urge the Minister for education and her department to move this project forward with urgency. She has a duty to do so”
In March 2026 a new housing estate of 48 social houses is due for completion, which will create further demand for school places.
At this rate we will soon be looking for an extension to the’ ‘phantom ‘ extension that is still not built”.
