Laois Special School students remain in prefabs as new school building work stalls

Children are being taught in prefabs and a principal is operating out of an office beside a community hall cloakroom because work on a new special school in Laois has stalled. 

Students had moved out of Saplings Special School in Graiguecullen while work began on the new school building. That work stalled a year and a half ago and the new building now has weeds growing around it. 

Students are being taught from prefab buildings at a temporary site in Killeshin while they wait for the new Saplings Special School building to be completed. 

The issue was raised in the Dáil with Minister for Special Education John O Mahony by Independent Laois TD Brian Stanley. 

He said there was a shortage of special school places in the county for children with profound disabilities which needed to be addressed. 

Dep Stanley said the construction work started on a new school in March 2023, However, after ground works were carried out and the walls were built on the greenfield site at Fruithill, provided by Laois County Council, work stopped in late 2023. “The school was told that work would resume but no details were given. Two years have passed. I am aware that funding for this project was not provided by the Department of Education, but it needs to be progressed,” he said. 

He said the funding was being made available through a programme handled by the Department of Justice which was now closed. “This must be sorted out. That programme is now closed, but the Saplings school is only half built. The project needs to be got up and running again. The application was made in the pre-Covid years, so the building costs have escalated massively. That is the reality. As I understand it, €4 million was allocated by the Department of Justice. But the Department of Justice cannot fund it because the programme to which I refer is closed,” he said. 

He said it cannot be done through private donations because there is a gap of between €2.6 million and €3 million. The school, which has 30 special, high-dependency students, cannot raise in the region of €3 million.

“Currently, the school is located in Killeshin village in prefabs. The principal's office is in an adjacent cloakroom in the local community hall. The site where the new school is to be built has bushes and weeds growing up around it,” he stated. 

He asked the Minister of State and his officials to come respond to his request in relation to the matter. He again stressed the need for more special needs school places. 

Four new classrooms have been promised at St Francis Special School which is to get two modular classrooms in the meantime. The modular classrooms are expected to be delivered this month. 

“In the context of an issue I raised regarding St Francis school, I acknowledge that the two modular classrooms are being provided. I acknowledge the Minister of State's work on that,” said Dep Stanley. 

“I know I raised it with the Minister of State before and I acknowledge that, but the Saplings school, at the other end of county, needs help and I ask him to come back to me on it,” Dep Stanley concluded.