Outrage in Kilkenny as expected funding for two new schools left out of Minister's announcement

Secondary school students in Kilkenny are “being failed” as teachers try to do their job “with one hand tied behind their back,” according to local teachers and councillors.

Ten years after the green light was given to start planning a new school campus for the Kilkenny City Vocational School (KCVS) and Coláiste Pobail Osraí, the project has been “completely ignored” in a recent €1.6 billion allocation for school buildings by the Department of Education, causing “outrage.”

“We are failing our students and Minister Naughton is enabling that,” said Cllr Deirdre Cullen in response to the snub.
Cllr Cullen is a teacher with KCVS.

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Labour Party councillor and former Cathaoirleach of the board of Coláiste Pobail Osraí, Cllr. Seán Ó hArgáin, has also expressed his anger and deep frustration at the failure of the new campus to finally be green-lit.

“As former principal of Gaelscoil Osraí, I was showing the plans for the new school building to sixth class pupils almost a decade ago, in the hope that the school would be opened before they sat the Leaving Certificate. Now it seems that the current school pupils at primary level in our local Gaelscoil may not see that promise delivered on,” Cllr Ó hArgáin said.

In 2015 KCETB were given the go-ahead to commence design and planning for the new school campus, to be located in the Western Environs.

In January 2025 the schools were issued with a ‘letter of intent’ to being grounds works and surveys on the green-field site.

According to Cllr Cullen that has all been completed and the project is ready to go to tender.

When the previous Minister or Education pushed the project forward “why would the new minister completely ignore us, ‘set us aside’ and not release the funding?” Cllr Cullen asked, adding: “I am outraged.”

“I would like Minister Naughton to come down to Kilkenny, to walk in our shoes in KCVS and Coláiste Pobail Osraí and tell us why this is acceptable.”

The need for a new school campus is clear, the councillors pointed out.
KCVS is at capacity and is having to turn away students; neither school has sports facilites; and they have been waiting since new buildings were first promised in 2008.

“We are delivering our education with our hands tied behind our back. It is not right,” Cllr Cullen said.
Cllr Ó hArgáin said he has been given an undertaking by his party’s spokesperson, Eoghan Kenny TD, that he will raise the matter urgently in Dáil Éireann and demand a reversal of the decision.

He said: “I am calling on our four Government deputies to immediately explain this omission. The students, parents, staff and management of the schools have been badly let down and deserve a clear picture of when the promises made to them will be delivered on.”