Parents assured every child in Dunshaughlin without a school place will get one

A meeting outside Leinster House with Ministers Helen McEntee and Thomas Byrne on the Dunshaughlin school places shortage has been described as "very positive" by one of the parents leading the campaign.

Aine McKenna and her daughter Niamh, who is due to start school in September, were among the gathering of parents and grandparents who stood outside the Dáil to highlight concerns about school places in Dunshaughlin earlier today.

Meath East TDs Darren O'Rourke, Gillian Toole and local councillors Fionnan Blake and Gerry O'Connor also attended. A pre-school teacher from a local Naoínra was also part of the gathering to emphasise the need for more gaelscoil places.

Speaking afterwards, Aine was very happy with the outcome of the meeting and said she felt it couldn't have gone any better. She thanked the Ministers for taking time out to come and speak with them directly and hear their concerns and said anyone who wanted to speak, had a chance to speak.

Their questions about numbers still without places were answered with Minister McEntee telling them there were 50 children without a place and this could be less as they might have accepted a place in a school outside the town. The Minister outlined to Aine that Martin O'Brien, LMETB CEO had been out to visit Dunshaughlin CNS today and that offers were to go out to parents today.

Aine said Minister McEntee had assured them that every child would have a place in the village.

"Niamh now has a place and that is the most positive thing to come out of the meeting today. We got to speak directly face to face to two ministers and local councillors. It was a great outcome. We got what we went in for. It is not fully finished and there are discussions still going on but we know Government are taking it very seriously.

"We also requested that Minister McEntee go back to Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton on the strong numbers who want an education through Irish for their children, with 38 on the waiting list for the Gaelscoil and she said she would."

Aine also appealed to the Department to come up with a better system for next year than the current waiting list system and to start the process earlier "so that parents aren't in the same position and dealing with so much upset next year and the three months of anguish" that they had.

Late yesterday evening, the Department of Education confirmed that a an additional junior infants class had been sanctioned which would be accommodated in Dunshaughlin CNS.

The statement said: "The Department of Education and Youth is aware of the pressure for junior infant places in Dunshaughlin for September 2026. The department has engaged with the primary schools in the town and has assessed admissions data.

"In response to an identified need, the department has consulted with the patron of Dunshaughlin CNS and has sanctioned the opening of a second junior infant class at the school for 2026. Final arrangements are being put in place. Offers will be made in due course."

Despite the confirmation of additional places, parents were still frustrated by the lack of communication and information and decided to go ahead with their protest outside the Dail. They wanted more information on numbers and when they would be offered places and to highlight the strong demand for more gaelscoil places.

Speaking this morning before the meeting with parents, Meath East TD Helen McEntee said along with the additional class, there is spare capacity for 15 other places as the anticipated figures for last year's additional junior infants class didn't materialise to the extent it had been expected.

She said there are currently 31 children on the waiting list for Dunshaughlin CNS and encouraged any other parents who had not applied for the school, perhaps due to missing the earlier deadline, to apply as soon as possible.

Minister McEntee said: "We agreed last year if there was a need for an additional classroom, it would be at the Community National School. We knew that additional capacity was needed last year but the numbers didn't materialise to the extent we expected and there is capacity there for those places to be offered to parents.

If there are parents who do not have a place who did not apply to the Dunshaughlin CNS, they should apply as soon as possible," she said adding that she was adamant that all children requiring a place would get one.