In Carlow-Kilkenny, the reality facing students, parents and school staff is very different from the picture that is often presented by the Government. We are seeing steady population growth, more young families and increasing demand for school places, but the delivery of school buildings is simply not keeping pace. Across the country, and specifically in my constituency, schools are relying on prefabs that were meant to be temporary but have now become long-term fixtures. Children are being taught in overcrowded classrooms with limited facilities, while projects that have been announced or approved are taking years to materialise. The core issue here is not a lack of planning, but a lack of adequate capital funding that reflects today's construction costs. I acknowledge the €7.6 billion that has been put aside in the national development plan, NDP, but putting it simply, it is not enough. The reality is that inflation in the building sector has fundamentally changed this picture. Projects that were costed a number of years ago are now far more expensive to deliver. As a result, we have a situation where schools have approval in principle, but in practice, they are stuck in limbo because the funding no longer matches the real cost of building. This is deeply frustrating for school communities. Boards of management, principals and parents are doing everything asked of them. They are engaging with the Department, progressing designs and identifying sites, yet they are left waiting, sometimes for years, with no clear timeline for delivery. All of this is happening at a time when the State is in a very strong financial position. The question has to be asked as to why, when the resources are available, we are still seeing such delays in delivering essential school infrastructure in places like Carlow and Kilkenny. This cannot continue. Temporary accommodation is not a long-term solution. Children only get one chance at their education, and they deserve to learn in proper, permanent facilities. As of this morning, on the Government website for the Department of education, there are 284 large-scale projects and 878 additional accommodation projects in the pipeline. That is 1,162 projects across the country, 30 of which are in my constituency. The latest round of capital funding showed that only 105 schools were funded. Based on this logic, it will be well over a decade before some of these projects even get the nod to go ahead to the design stage. What additional capital funding can be allocated in 2026 specifically to address these delays? Will the Government commit to reviewing and increasing the capital budget for school buildings so that approved projects can be delivered on time? Ultimately, this is about delivery. It is about turning announcements into actual buildings and ensuring that schools in constituencies like mine are not left behind.

Sentiment score: 0.12

I am delighted to hear that additional funding will be made available. I look forward to engaging with the Tánaiste to deliver these projects. In Carlow, schools like Borris College and St. Mary's Academy CBS are under pressure. The projects are ready to go. They just need the green light from the Department. If we move over to Kilkenny, the situation is just as concerning. Kilkenny City Vocational School and Coláiste Pobail Osraí are waiting on their new shared campus. Castlecomer Community College and Coláiste Abhainn Rí in Callan have been excluded from the last round of Government funding. These schools are operating at full capacity, and delays only make conditions worse. St. Senan’s National School in Kilmacow and Church Hill National School are ready to go. We have the magnificent St. Kieran's College, which, again, has a project ready to go. Its pupils were all-Ireland champions again on St. Patrick's Day, their 26th title, so hurling is strong, alive and well in Kilkenny, the Tánaiste and the House will be glad to hear. If we are serious about education, we cannot continue to delay investment where it is clearly needed. Students deserve a safe, modern space to learn, not uncertainty and overcrowding. It is time for action. I welcome the Tánaiste's comment that additional funding is going to be made available. It is time that these schools get the funding they urgently require.

Sentiment score: 0.26