School communities in Donegal have been dealt a blow this week after learning that their construction projects have been put on hold due to government funding pressures.
Around a dozen schools in Donegal have reportedly been informed by the Department of Education that their building projects will be delayed.
Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maistri School, Scoil Niall Mór in Killybegs and Scoil Chonail in Bunbeg are among the 58 stalled projects.
“Everything was finally ready to go and now the money won’t be released,” said one concerned parent whose children attend Four Masters High School, which was due to start construction over the next few weeks.
“It’s heartbreaking that this has happened and we have been failed yet again.”
Deputy Pearse Doherty raised the issue with the Tánaiste in the Dáil yesterday and criticised the Department for refusing to provide the list of schools that are affected and whether their planned construction will go ahead.
“These school communities have been left in limbo, not knowing whether the construction on these new school buildings will be delivered,” the Sinn Féin Deputy said.
“The Department have said that this decision was made because of inflation in the construction sector.
“The Minister for Public Expenditure made commitments during the Budget that changes had been made to the public works contract to safeguard project delivery in response to rising construction costs.”
Deputy Doherty asked the Tánaiste to ensure that this is resolved and the construction of these schools goes ahead without delay.
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said the government could tap into the billions of euro in its ‘rainy-day fund’.
It was reported last month that the State had transferred €4 billion into the rainy-day fund, bringing the total balance of the fund to €6 billion.
Deputy Pringle had submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister for Education, asking when the Gaelscoil na gCeithre Máistrí project would be completed, and the children moved into the new building from the prefabs which currently make up the school. The school was established in 1999 in prefabs.
As recently as October of 2022, the Minister responded that subject to no issues arising, it was envisaged that works could commence on site in the first quarter of this year, 2023, with an estimated completion timeframe of 23 months.
However, earlier this year, in response to further questioning from Deputy Pringle, the Minister said the Department will be assessing overall requirements for 2023 and would update individual schools of same.
Deputy Pringle said: “These schools have been going through this process for years. This is not right. The school community at Gaelscoil na gCeithre Máistrí was expecting to see builders on site, not an email telling them the project was on hold.
“The point is the money is there. The rainy-day fund has been established. Why is there money in a rainy-day fund when these necessary structural developments have been put on hold?” he said.
