Dáil hears planning permission expiry risk for Cork school amid capital delays
Thursday 5 November 2026
Delays in advancing school building schemes risk allowing granted planning permissions to expire before construction begins, Dáil Éireann has heard.
School building delays risk allowing planning permissions to lapse before construction starts, Dáil Éireann has heard during statements on Department of Education capital works.
Deputy Eoghan Kenny highlighted the case of Coláiste an Chroí Naofa in Carraig na bhFear, County Cork, where approximately €900,000 has been expended on a scheme that remains at stage 2B. Kenny warned that the existing planning permission for the school project is due to expire in 2027 if procurement and construction do not proceed.
The debate also addressed stalled campus deliveries in Ballincollig for Le Chéile Secondary School and Gaelscoil an Chaisleain, where permanent school construction at Lisheens has been held up by an outstanding site transfer with Cork City Council. Kenny noted that the State spent €28.8 million renting temporary accommodation across 440 schools in 2024—including €3.7 million in County Cork—with overall school accommodation rental expenditure reaching €37 million in 2025.
Responding, Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton outlined the Department's €7.55 billion National Development Plan (NDP) sectoral investment plan spanning 2026 to 2030, which provides annual capital allocations of €1.6 billion in 2026 and €1.6 billion in 2027.
According to Naughton, 56 of a priority list of 105 school building projects have completed, started site works, or received approval to commence construction for the 2026–2027 period. Approximately 1,000 school building projects of varying scales are scheduled to be active on site during 2026, with the next tranche of projects moving to tender due in 2027.