BREAKING: Kildare schools crisis averted as 25 new places get green light

Some 25 new primary school pupils will be admitted to a Naas school later this year - taking the pressure off an emerging crisis caused by insufficient school places.

It is understood that the pupils will be accommodated at the St Corban's Boys National School and will effectively create a new junior infant class with the appointment of an additional teacher.

READ NEXT Company that enforces parking rules in Kildare towns 'shouldn't have contract renewed'

Local councillor Bill Clear recently criticised the shortage of national school places, saying  children have no school place for September.

He described this as a complete failure and a disgraceful example of poor forward planning.

Cllr Clear said that families are under huge and unnecessary stress as a result of the failure to provide sufficient school places for a rapidly growing population.

“This is not a marginal issue. Thirty children in Naas have no school place and this means thirty families living with anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration through no fault of their own,” he said, blaming the Department of Education.

“This is a failure by the department to plan ahead. Naas has seen a significant population increase over recent years. Thousands of houses have been built, yet basic services like school places have not kept pace. Homes are being delivered without the supporting infrastructure that families need.”

The department told the Leinster Leader it has a robust, evidence based, forward planning process for monitoring the current and projected future demographic demand for school places. 

“This forward planning process analyses the demand for school places at school planning area level and also at a more granular settlement level to allow the department to respond to local demands.” 

A spokesperson said the data used to inform the demographic demand analysis includes enrolment data, child benefit data, census and CSO data and information of planned new residential developments. Enrolment and child benefit data is updated annually and geocoded to the 19 thousand small areas across the Country. This allows the department to analyse the population of school going children and the schools they attend at a granular level.

The department acknowledged “there has been significant new residential development in  Naas. Against this background, the demand for primary school capacity has been anticipated and responded to with the establishment of a new 32 classroom co-educational primary school in Naas.” 

It added: “While there continues to be strong junior infant place demand in Naas, the department’s analysis demonstrates that there continues to be capacity in junior infant classes to meet this demand. It must be noted that many primary schools in Naas did not fill in September 2025 and a number of places remain vacant. 

“The department has engaged with the schools in Naas in respect to their admissions process and is satisfied that there will be sufficient capacity in junior infant class to meet the September 2026 demand. 

“The department continues to invest in primary school capacity in Naas with the recent completion of the 32 classroom co-educational Mercy Convent primary school in Naas and the planned redevelopment of St. Corban's National School. 

“The demand for primary school places in Naas will continue to be kept under review, in conjunction with the monitoring of new and planned new residential developments, in consultation with Kildare County Council.”