Brian Stanley urges urgent action on special school accommodation
Brian Stanley welcomed the publication of the report but warned that school accommodation for special classes in County Leish remains a major challenge with no timelines for delivery. He urged the minister and Department officials to act quickly to deliver modular and permanent classrooms, singling out pressure at St Francis School in Portlaoise.
Brian Stanley said new classes and posts have been granted but accommodation is still a problem. Schools are being forced to convert offices, small libraries and storage cupboards into classrooms because delivery timelines have not been provided.
He noted the positive staff and leadership in special classes, including a principal named Nicola, but said they are struggling to secure on-site works in time for the new intake. Two additional classes are due to join this September, adding to immediate space pressures.
Brian Stanley highlighted St Francis School in Portlaoise, where two modular classrooms have been approved and work is due to start in a couple of weeks. He said the school has 19 classes but only 12 classrooms, and that four permanent classrooms have planning permission and Department sanction but need final sign-off - with a large enrolment expected in September 2026.
He asked Department officials to advance the modular and permanent projects and to give the works a sense of urgency. Anything officials can do to speed delivery would be welcomed by the Board of Management, staff and parents, he said.
Accommodation pressures across County Leish
Brian Stanley said new classes and posts have been granted but accommodation is still a problem. Schools are being forced to convert offices, small libraries and storage cupboards into classrooms because delivery timelines have not been provided.
Impact on staff and pupils
He noted the positive staff and leadership in special classes, including a principal named Nicola, but said they are struggling to secure on-site works in time for the new intake. Two additional classes are due to join this September, adding to immediate space pressures.
St Francis School's immediate needs
Brian Stanley highlighted St Francis School in Portlaoise, where two modular classrooms have been approved and work is due to start in a couple of weeks. He said the school has 19 classes but only 12 classrooms, and that four permanent classrooms have planning permission and Department sanction but need final sign-off - with a large enrolment expected in September 2026.
Appeal to minister and Department officials
He asked Department officials to advance the modular and permanent projects and to give the works a sense of urgency. Anything officials can do to speed delivery would be welcomed by the Board of Management, staff and parents, he said.
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Transcript
I welcome the publication of the report. I have to say to you, Minister, that the school places for special places continues to be a major challenge in County Leish. New classes have been granted and I welcome that. New posts have been granted, but the accommodation is a problem. The accommodation continues to be a problem and no timelines for deliveries despite classes being announced. What schools are saying is where do we put the classes? Offices, the little school libraries, which is generally a small room, storage areas such as cupboard storage areas are being used for classrooms. The collection got to special classes and very positive staff there, a very positive principal in Nicola, but they are struggling now to try and get deals on site and try and get work done for September when the two new classes of children are coming on top of them. St Francis School in Portlaoise, they have been granted two modular classrooms and I welcome the fact that that has been granted. It has been approved, the work is due to start in a couple of weeks, and I would say to the Department of Officials that are here, if you can do anything to try and advance that and give it a sense of urgency. There are more children coming in this year than there are going out. There are 19 classes in this special school and John Moran, the principal and the staff are doing excellent work, but there are only 12 classrooms for the 19 classes. This needs to be completed, the modular ones, to get them by for this year. Four permanent ones have been granted planning permission and have been sanctioned by the Department. Again, that is welcome, but in coming September 2026, Minister, they have a huge enrolment coming in, and St Francis needs that extra space for that extra enrolment. There are four classrooms sanctioned, it is ready to go and soon will need final sign-off. Planning permission, as I say, is being granted. That project needs a sense of urgency now to ensure that St Francis School is able to take all those extra pupils in September 2026, and the two modular classrooms for this September. Anything that officials can do to advance that would be very welcome and appreciated by the Board of Management and the staff and the parents.