Petition pressure to get work started on long-awaited Navan shared school campus

A PETITION calling for speedy progress on the new campus for Ard Ri Community National School and St Ultan’s Special School in Navan was signed by over a 1,000 people in just three days,

The parents associations of both schools have launched a joint petition and are working together to push for new school buildings which will share a campus in Academy Street.

The petition demands “the immediate prioritisation and acceleration of the process by the Department of Education, Planning Department in Meath County Council, and all stakeholders involved, to ensure no further delays.” It also calls for a clear and truthful timeline for the completion of this long-overdue project.

“We need to know exactly what the current issues causing the delay are.” The parents are looking for a clear line of communication providing regular updates on progress, full transparency on the current issues causing the delay and what steps are being taken to resolve them. They are also seeking a commitment to ensuring their children receive the educational environment they deserve, without further compromise. “We encourage all members of the community to support this petition and join us in advocating for the urgent delivery of our new schools,” they say.

The letter and petition will be sent to the Taoiseach, the Minister for Education, the Department of Education Planning and Building Unit, Meath TDs and senators, Navan councillors, the Planning Section Meath County Council, the Bishop of Meath, the Chief Executive of Louth and Meath Education and Training Board and the Boards of Management of both schools.

Ciara McManus of the Ard Rí Parents Association and David Toner of the St Ultan’s Parents Association expressed their concerns and deep frustration.

“Both schools are doing incredible work. The teachers never complain but there is a compete vacuum of information for parents and it just seems to be going nowhere. We still have no clear timeline. Our children are stuck in overcrowded, inadequate buildings with no space to play while promises go unfulfilled. We demand action now. We have collected over a thousand signatures in three days. We will be asking to meet Minister McEntee at her earliest convenience to present the petition to her in person.”

Darragh Roe, Principal Ard Rí CNS and Jean Cunningham, Principal of St Ultan's Special School said they both clearly understand and support the concerns of their parent communities.

“It is just incredible how Glenveagh Homes can build 600 houses next door in Baker Hall and we can't even make it through the planning stage. Waiting 20 years to get a school built seems to be the norm and it's not good enough.”

The letter accompanying the petition speaks of “the unacceptable delays in the construction” of the new campus.

“Both schools have been eagerly anticipating purpose-built facilities that will meet the needs of our growing student populations. Funding for schools was approved in March 2021. Since then, a long list of politicians and ministers have publicly celebrated the project and promised a quick turnaround. Planning permission was lodged in June 2024, and to date, we have no definite answer as to when this build will be ready for our children.

“The continued delays in this project have placed immense strain on our principals, teachers, but most importantly our children.

“Our children deserve safe, modern, and well-equipped learning environments that support their education and well-being. The current facilities are no longer adequate to accommodate the increasing enrolment and the diverse needs of both school communities.”

It goes on to say that conditions at both schools are wholly inadequate. “Across the two schools, over 500 children from 400 families, almost 50 teachers, and 30 SNAs are affected. Many children with MGLD, Autism, and complex disabilities are currently learning in overcrowded buildings, with no space to play, and lacking the facilities essential to their cognitive and holistic development. Both sites are completely overpopulated, and staff are working tirelessly to meet the needs of the pupils despite environmental challenges.

“Generations of children are being affected. Many children who were promised a new state-of-the-art building have long graduated, and at this rate, many children currently enrolled in our schools and who were promised a new school will complete their entire primary education in prefabs and old buildings, not fit for purpose.

“Both communities were very excited to see the application for planning permission last June. There is a complete vacuum of information for parents. We need to know what factors are causing the delays, and we need a clear and true timeline of each step from this point to the official openings of the buildings.

“We believe that immediate action is needed to prioritise this essential development and to ensure that the schools are built without further delay.”

The proposed new Ard Ri building will be split level- part single storey and part three storey made up of teaching spaces, ancillary spaces, PE hall facility, special education needs unit, general purpose hall, social areas, library, administration areas, toilet and changing facilities.

The campus plans also include the construction of a two-storey building for St Ultan's Special School, also comprising of teaching spaces, ancillary spaces, PE hall facility, special education needs suite, general purpose hall, social areas, library, administration areas, toilet and changing facilities.

The Minister for Education, Helen McEntee said she was supportive of both projects. “They are going through the planning process at the moment - sometimes that can take longer than for other projects, but they are progressing and I will be keeping an eye on progress,” she said.