Gaelcholáiste Reachrann Building Slated for Late 2026 Construction Following Planning Renewal

Construction of a new school building for Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in Dublin 13 is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Addressing the Dáil, Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton confirmed the timeline following questions from Deputy Tom Brabazon regarding delivery delays at the post-primary school, which currently operates using shared accommodation and prefabs on the Grange Community College site.

The project will accommodate a long-term projected enrolment of 600 pupils, alongside dedicated classrooms for children with special educational needs.

Planning Renewal and Delivery Timeline

The development previously experienced statutory planning setbacks. While an initial grant of planning permission was set to expire in December 2022, legislative revisions to the planning Acts enacted in September 2021 required the submission of an entirely new application. A final grant of planning permission was subsequently secured in December 2023.

Tendering for the works commenced late in the fourth quarter of 2025. Returned tenders are currently under detailed evaluation by the project design team ahead of formal report submission to the Department of Education.

Wider Dublin Capital Programme

The scheme forms part of 105 school building projects identified under the National Development Plan (NDP) list, with 20 school developments scheduled to advance to tender or construction across 2026 and 2027.

Departmental figures outline that over €2 billion in capital expenditure has been allocated to Dublin schools since 2020, delivering upgrades across 300 schools. In Dublin, 47 large-scale extension, modular, or climate pathfinder projects are currently under construction, alongside 53 active works under the climate action summer works scheme.