Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Youth, Darren O’Rourke, says delays with new school building projects for Coláiste Ríoga and Dunshaughlin Community National School in Dunshaughlin are inexcusable. The Meath East TD raised the delays in the Dáil this week, with Education Minister Helen McEntee.
Minister McEntee acknowledged that there were delays with the projects but could not say when contracts would be signed or when building would commence, meaning both schools will face yet another year of pre-fab expansion and accommodation in 2026/2027. Teachta O’Rourke said; “It is with immense frustration that I am forced, once again, to highlight the ongoing and inexcusable delays plaguing the new school building projects for Coláiste Ríoga and Dunshaughlin Community National School.
No definitive date has yet being set to start construction on the 1,000 student school in Dunshaughlin.
“Planning permission for this vital campus project was granted a full five years ago, in November 2020. Today, in November 2025, our students and school communities are still waiting, with no builder on site and no certainty about when construction will even begin.
“The Minister’s update in the Dáil confirms the deeply worrying situation we find ourselves in. The fact that the first and second-placed tenderers withdrew from the process speaks to a wider crisis in the management of the Department’s capital projects. While the Minister claims there is “nothing unusual” about this, it is clear that systemic issues are causing contractors to walk away, leading to catastrophic delays for our children’s education.
“The consequence of this failure is stark. Both schools will require additional, temporary prefab accommodation next September because their permanent homes remain unbuilt. This is a direct result of government inaction and poor project management. It is an insult to the pupils, parents, and dedicated staff who have been patient for so long.
“The Minister states the funding is in place, but funding is useless without the competence to deliver the project. The community is tired of vague assurances and wants to see builders on site.
“I am demanding that the Minister and Department of Education immediately issues the letter of acceptance to the remaining contractor and provides a definitive, public timeline for the commencement and completion of these projects. The children of Dunshaughlin cannot be left in limbo any longer. They deserve modern, permanent school facilities, and they deserve them now.”
