Solution found for Clonakilty schoolboys without first-year place

Local TDs welcomed the news, but warned that more school places will need to be provided for the expanding West Cork town.

Clonakilty Community College enjoyed a state-of-the-art extension in 2021 following an investment of €10.5m.

The 14 boys who could not get a place in Clonakilty Community College (CCC) have now been offered spaces in the first year classes for the next academic year.

The boys had lost out on spaces when admissions were allocated last year and could not find alternative places in other schools in their area as the CCC is the only post-primary school for boys in the Clonakilty area. The co-educational school is one of two post-primary schools in the town — the other being the all-girl Sacred Heart Secondary School.

The plight of the 14 boys, who are currently in sixth class, was discussed at a meeting of the CCC board of management on Wednesday. A decision was taken to increase capacity for the coming academic year to include the students on the waiting list. Offers have now been sent to the families of the 14 boys.

Local Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan welcomed the decision, and thanked the board of management and principal of the school for working to find a solution.

He said, however, that there needs to be a focus on increasing second-level places in Clonakilty because it is an expanding town and there will be similar issues in the future if action is not taken now. 

Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard said the decision taken by the board of management is a wonderful one for the children and their parents. However, he said that there needs to be a strategic plan put in place to prevent a similar situation from arising for the 2024/25 academic year.

In recent weeks, a number of TDs have lodged parliamentary questions relating to children who have not managed to secure a place in schools across the country, including in Limerick, Kildare, and Mayo.

A spokesman for the Department of Education said that at a national level, first-year school-place requirements are expected to decline gradually from this year onwards. However, he accepted that there can be localised pressure areas across the country.