Sligo Councillors have backed a motion calling on the Minister for Education to prioritise and progress "urgently needed school building projects" in the county.
The motion submitted by Cllr Marie Casserly called on the Minister to provide a clear timeline for the commencement of construction project at Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, Ursuline College, and Grange Post Primary School.
Cllr Casserly said the projects are facing serious delays and health and safety concerns, with the Ursuline project at risk of losing planning permission.
Parents whose children are attending Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré held a demonstration ahead of this morning's council meeting in Sligo.
The Gaelscoil, founded in 1996, caters for more than 200 students on the site of St Mary’s GAA Club and it is the only Gaelscoil in the north-west county.
The Department of Education construction programme includes plans for a new-12 classroom primary school with additional classrooms for pupils with special additional needs on a greenfield site.
The project is part of the ADAPT Programme that aims to expedite the delivery of schools in leased accommodation; however, parents and staff have expressed frustration with the pace of progress.
Gaelscoil principal Mícheál Ó Broin said if the ADAPT target had been reached; construction would have started last July, however, a planning application has yet to be submitted.
"The 'AD’ at the beginning of the adapt [acronym] stands for accelerated delivery, but unfortunately, we've had no delivery, and certainly no acceleration towards it either.
"It sets out in the Department's documents, which we retrieved through a Freedom of Information request that planning permission should be lodged within 13 months and that a builder should be on the site within 24 months.
"Last July, we should have technically seen the beginning of the building, but unfortunately, we're still at Stage 2 (a) [Architectural Planning and Design Development stage]," he said.
This stage involves developing the preferred design option to the point where the project is fully cost-planned and ready for planning submission.
Last July, representatives from the Gaelscoil authority, the design team, project manager and the Department attended a meeting about the project.
It concluded with the Department requesting that the design team prepare a report to address issues it had raised.
A Department spokesperson told RTÉ News that the report has recently been received and is currently being reviewed.
They said "upon review of the Stage 2(a) Addendum report, the Department will advise all stakeholders regarding the further progression of the project".
Mr Ó Broin said that people don’t mind a bit of inconvenience if they know something is on the way, but said frustration grows as the process becomes prolonged.
"There are children in school whose parents attended the school and who were also taught in those prefabs.
"The maintenance is astronomical and then obviously it impacts on the running of the school."
Ursuline College buildings 'now outdated' - Principal
Meanwhile, Ursuline College in Sligo town, an all-girls Catholic voluntary secondary school, celebrating its 175th anniversary is also awaiting major works.
Principal Colm McIntyre said while the buildings reflect the school's heritage; they "are now outdated".
Mr McIntyre said the current facilities are no longer sustainable, leading to high heating, electricity and maintenance costs despite strong upkeep by the school leadership and support from the Department of Education.
The Department approved a major redevelopment more than a decade ago.
The project includes an extension and refurbishment which will provide for a 750-pupil post primary school building.
Planning permission was granted and a pre-tender process has been completed.
Mr McIntyre said urgency is critical as planning permission will expire in June 2027.
He is concerned that if the project does not begin before the planning permission expires, it may cause delays and extra costs.
"A modern facility is essential for delivering high-quality education into the future, making it vital that the project progresses immediately to the tender stage," he said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said the project for the Ursuline College is currently at Stage 2 (b) - the architectural design process.
They said this stage allows for the obtaining of statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents.
The said while it was "not possible to provide a timeline for completion of this project," the Department " will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them fully informed of progress".
'Big push' to get Grange project over the line
Elsewhere, Grange Post Primary School in north Sligo has been approved to progress under the Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme.
The project includes the provision of three general classrooms, a science room with preparation area, a construction room with preparation area, a home economics room, a graphic design laboratory, a music room, a project store, two SET rooms, ancillary accommodation, and a one-classroom SEN base.
The Grange project was devolved to the Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education Training Board for delivery. It is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural design process awaiting a stage submission.
Gráinne McDonald from Grange said there, "has been a big push this past year, especially from the Parents’ Association to try and get it over the line".
The Department spokesperson told RTÉ News that approximately 80 school building projects are expected to progress to construction across 2026 and 2027 as part of a two-year rolling programme.
They said the Department’s approach is to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted project rollout to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.
