The future school needs of south Meath must be ‘urgently tackled’ - O'Reilly

South east Meath will face a huge schools crisis in the next few years, if planning doesn't start now to address future school needs for the rapidly growing population.

A warning that demand for schools will explode over the next four years was made by Cllr Damien O'Reilly who has called for plans to be put in train immediately to address future demand.

With detailed population figures for the area from last year's census, due to be published in the coming weeks, expected to show a massive population explosion in the area and many more housing units planned, he warned that Meath Co Council and the Department of Education must act now.

Cllr O'Reilly got the backing of his fellow councillors last week at a meeting of the Ratoath Municipal Council where he called on Meath Co Council to write to the Department of Education and Skills and request all data currently in use by that Department to profile the educational needs of the Ratoath Municipal District for new primary, secondary and additional needs classrooms.

"The south Meath area experienced significant growth as shown in Census 2022 and has over 4,000 residential units in the pipeline for construction," he said.

"We need to be prepared. Children born to people moving into new houses at the moment will need school places in four years and secondary school places in 12.

"In previous periods of rapid development, we weren't prepared when new schools were needed. That needs to change. We are going to need new schools, both secondary and primary, more special education facilities and childcare facilities, as well as extensions to existing schools.

"Schools are already under pressure. Last year, some people whose families had lived four and five generations in Kilcloon couldn't get schools places there for their children despite being able to see the school from their home. The primary schools in Ashbourne are full. The new schools in Dunshaughlin that have opened in the last two years are filling up.

"We need to get ahead of things, the council and the Department need to work together to plan for additional school facilities," he said.

Cllr Nick Killian agreed that planning needed to start immediately. He recalled that while there had been a fall off in construction during the early 2010s, the area is now growing rapidly again.

"This area is now coming under pressure again, as are most of the towns and villages across the county, but in the southern half of the country, the situation growth is at its most rapid.

"We need a survey to see what we will need over the next ten years in terms of childcare, primary and post primary schools and special needs facilities.

"As chairman of boards of management of four schools, I am aware of the post primary waiting lists for people wanting to get places in Ashbourne, Ratoath, Dunboyne and Dunshaughlin.

"The newly opened Colaiste Rioga in Dunshaughlin has helped, but schools in the area are still under pressure.

"There are more people moving into the towns and villages, there are more houses under construction and the system is coming under pressure. The Department and Meath Co Council need to start planning when the new detailed census figures for the south of the county are published."

Cllr Maria Murphy agreed there was a need for forward planning. "We already see the demand growing for primary school and secondary school places and in particular for special needs facilities.

"We can see the movement of families into the area and we can see those who are in preschool who will need primary school places when they finished preschool.

"It is not rocket science to realise we need to start looking at the figures and planning ahead now."

Cllr Gerry O'Connor said the population of Meath had increased by 13 per cent since the last census and when more detailed figures are published shortly it will show an even bigger jump in the population in the south Meath area.

"In 2017 I pushed for a new primary and secondary school for Dunshaughlin. As chair of the Community College I saw all the section 29 appeals we were having to fight because students couldn't get a place in the school.

"I was successful in getting the new school campus and the new post primary school will cater for 1,000 pupils, but it is not going to be enough. We need to look at what is needed over the next few years and start planning ahead."