School Facilities
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-18
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Anne Rabbitte (FF), Nominated by the Taoiseach

I thank the Minister of State for both his contribution and his leadership regarding how to move to the next phase. With regard to the short-term position, I hear him very clearly. The community centre is about 250 m down the road but, as outlined, there is no footpath. I would welcome it if there were a ray of hope that this was a very short-term solution while we wait for a modular unit to be leased or for planning permission to come through. No doubt there will be a planning permission query, even if we are putting down a rented building, because we are changing the footprint. We accept that and the teachers accept it, so there is no issue arising. What we need is a plan and a pathway to ensure that this happens within a short period. That would bridge the gap.
The fear about the community centre arises from the perspective of the community itself. There is no shop there any more. Other than the church and the school, all we have left is the community centre. We live on the banks of the River Shannon. It is the only place that people will congregate after a funeral or a month’s mind. However, we are going to say to the teacher that they should: put in all the books and take out all the books; put away all the tables and take out all the tables; walk the children up and down the road; supervise all the playing; and carry the risk. At the same time, we are taking one of the hubs of the community out of circulation.
The board of management members are from the parish. They want to keep it all working. They will work with the Minister of State if he can give us options.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:39+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-18