People of Prosperous 'led down the garden path' about proposed new school – Kildare TD

A Kildare North TD has claimed that the people of Prosperous and north-west Kildare have been “led down the garden path” about a proposed new school for the town.

Deputy Aidan Farrelly (SD) was speaking in the Dáil during 'Topical Issue Debate' on Tuesday, January 13 2026.

The Social Democrats TD told the Dáil that St Farnan's is the only post-primary school in the community, and while the work undertaken at the school under Mr Andrew Purcell is “nothing short of exemplary”, conditions are “simply substandard.”

According to Deputy Farrelly, the people of Prosperous have been promised a new school for over 10 years, with news released in 2025 that the school had gone to tender stage.

“In 2023, the Department had officially approved the plans and designs for stage 2A of a 1,000-pupil school but it was as far back as 2015 when the then Minister Jan O’Sullivan made an announcement that St. Farnan’s was on a list for extensions”, Deputy Farrelly told the House.

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“This school and this community have been promised this for an awfully long time. Nearly two generations of students have been told that by the time they finish, the new school will be here. Now the population in Prosperous and the communities this school serves, which goes far beyond into Allenwood, Coill Dubh and other places, have nearly given up hope on this.”

While there had been significant investment by the Department in temporary accommodation at the site, Deputy Farrelly said, four classrooms had been allocated last August, and none have yet been handed over to the school.

Deputy Farrelly pointed out that he was raising the matter in a context where County Kildare's population has doubled since the early 1990s to almost 250,000 people.

“When we see housing coming without the development of services and infrastructure, issues like this will arise. I could be talking about school issues in Clane, Brannockstown, Naas, Maynooth or Celbridge. I am not just listing off towns as these are legitimate concerns schools such as Scoil Mochua and Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad have.

“Capital is what we need. Investment is what we need. There have been six Ministers since Jan O’Sullivan made that announcement about St. Farnan’s back in 2015. We are really hoping the Minister, Deputy Naughton, can be the one who makes the project happen.”

Responding to Deputy Farrelly, Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton confirmed that the project brief is to provide “a new-build replacement school for a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils, including a four-classroom special educational needs base.”

Delivery of the project has been devolved to Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB, she said.

According to the Minister, the project is in “the final stages” of the post-planning process of the architectural design.

Planning has been granted and KWETB has been advised the stage 2B report is expected to be submitted in 2026.

Once received it will undergo a detailed technical and cost review in line with the public spending code, the Minister added.

“At this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project. KWETB will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them fully informed of progress”, the Minister stated.