A school in Tallaght with 230 students says it is facing closure next month if the Department of Education doesn’t come up with emergency funding .
The Sacred Heart Junior School – Scoil an Chroí Ro-Naofa – in Killinarden has written to parents and guardians following a Board of Management meeting on March 13th.
The letter states that the school has suffered “massive under funding for many years due to cuts from the Dept of Education” .
It says “we no longer have money to pay our basic bills from the 1st April 2025 and we will have to close the school and teach remotely if emergency additional funding is not received”.
Aontú Tallaght Rep Saoirse Ni Chonaráin says that “parents are going out of their minds following the receipt of this letter.”
“They are frantic. They have been calling each other all day trying to make sense out of this,” she told Gript. “Two hundred and thirty boys and girls are taught in this school,they are at the centre of this. There is huge pressure on school places as it is.”
“I’m in shock myself as I simply cannot believe it has been allowed to go this far.I simply don’t understand how education is being ignored so badly ,” she said.
She said the community was deeply concerned and upset for parents, the staff and the pupils. “This is absolutely desperate,” she said. “How can a modern education system fail children like this.”
The Department of Education said it was committed to “offering all available and appropriate supports to the school”.
However, it said it first requires additional information from the school before assistance can be provided
A spokesman said:”The department will continue to liaise with the school and the patron so that support can be provided as quickly as possible to the school.
“The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU) can offer support and advice to school boards of management in relation to school accounts and funding generally.”