Kildare North schools under 'immense pressure' with resources and facilities - TD

A Sinn Féin TD for Kildare North has raised the shortage of school places and lack of school resources and facilities in the north county in the Dáil.

Deputy Réada Cronin was speaking during 'Topical Issue Debate' on February 12 2026.

The Sinn Féin TD told Minister of State, Deputy Charlie McConalogue that the issue of waiting lists for post-primary school places had been a “consistent and growing issue” in Kildare North, one of the fastest growing constituencies in the State.

Housing estates, she said, had been built across Maynooth, Naas, Leixlip, Celbridge, Prosperous and Clane over the past number of years, with no matching infrastructure.

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Local primary and secondary schools were under “immense pressure” to cope with the same resources and facilities they have had “for decades”, she said.

“Over the past few weeks, I have been in touch with post-primary schools across my constituency about their waiting lists. Some of the lists are staggering”, Deputy Cronin said.

“There are 190 students on the waiting list for one school alone, namely Maynooth Community College. Coláiste Chiaráin in Leixlip and Confey College between them have well over 200 children on their waiting lists.

“One school in Maynooth told me the Department had asked it to take on more students this year, even though it is already oversubscribed. That is really worrying. Parents in deep distress have been in touch with me over this issue.”

School facilities

School facilities in Kildare North were another major issue, Deputy Cronin told the Deputy.

She said the Department would be “well aware” of St Patrick's national school in Celbridge, and the “dire straits” it is in regarding its premises.

According to Deputy Cronin, St Patrick's has been operating in temporary prefabs for the past 18 years, yet did not make the Department's priority list.

Other schools in the north county were also waiting for facilities, she pointed out, such as Celbridge Community College, which was been waiting many years for a permanent building.

“I hope these concerns will be listened to and acted upon for next year in order that some of the issues that have been raised with me will not be repeated. I ask that the Department provide an update on its plans for improving school capacity and facilities in Kildare North in order to accommodate the growing population”, Deputy Cronin said.

“While I appreciate that the Minister is not here, I hope the Minister of State will come back to me on this because it is really frustrating.

“...These schools have been crying out for facilities for years and they are now at breaking point. They need extra classrooms and spaces. The new school in Maynooth is being asked to take an extra 200 children. There are two schools beside each other on the same campus, with 1,000 pupils in each. They are already at capacity.”

Speaking of the shortage of secondary school places, Deputy Cronin said: “I have spoken to parents whose children move down the list and when they get a place, they feel relief. However, those families should not have to go through this.

“We need a system that works so that parents and their kids do not have to go through this anxiety every year. It is the same thing every year. The Department says it has places, but it consistently does not have them.”