Councillor O’Brien slams government over exclusion of Mayo from national school building programme

Independent Councillor Patsy O’Brien has accused the Government of a “shocking betrayal” of County Mayo after figures revealed that not a single school in the county has been included in the first tranche of the Government’s flagship National Development Plan (NDP) school building programme.

The first tranche of the NDP Rollout, lists 105 school building projects nationwide that are set to progress to tender or construction during 2026 and 2027. The projects include new school buildings, extensions, and major refurbishment works designed to address overcrowding, ageing infrastructure and rising enrolment across the country.

However, according to figures made available to Councillor O’Brien, not one of the 105 approved projects is located in County Mayo — despite the county being represented by two Government Ministers, a Government TD and a Government Senator.

“This is a disgraceful and deeply insulting neglect of our county,” Councillor O’Brien said. “Mayo has been completely left out in the cold. Not one school, not one extension, not one building project, and this while Government representatives here go around pretending they are delivering for local communities.”

The Robeen-based councillor said the exclusion of Mayo once again highlights what he described as a pattern of Government indifference to the west of Ireland.

“This proves, yet again, that this Government is grossly negligent when it comes to the west. Mayo’s children, parents and teachers are being treated as second-class citizens. We are good enough to pay taxes, but when it comes to investment in our schools, we are ignored.”

The NDP school building programme is intended to be the cornerstone of the State’s long-term investment in education infrastructure. The Department of Education says the projects selected in this first tranche will deliver new school buildings for schools without permanent accommodation, replace buildings that are no longer fit for purpose, and provide extensions where enrolment growth has put severe pressure on existing facilities.

The programme is also supposed to support special education, with a strong focus on ensuring schools have capacity for Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision and special classes.

Councillor O’Brien said the absence of Mayo from the list flies in the face of the reality on the ground.

“Anyone who visits schools across Mayo knows there are many needing urgent works,” he said. “We have prefabs that were meant to be temporary 20 years ago, still in use. We have schools operating in buildings that are no longer fit for modern education. We have children with special needs who cannot get places locally. And still, not a single Mayo project makes the cut.”

Under the Government’s own criteria, projects were meant to be prioritised based on local enrolment needs, demographic growth and the requirement to maximise the capacity of existing accommodation. The Department has also said that additional projects for September 2026, particularly for SEN and modular accommodation, may be added later.

However, Councillor O’Brien said that Mayo should not have to rely on vague future promises.

“Mayo should have been included from the start. We should not be begging for scraps or hoping that something might be added later. The needs of our children are just as urgent as anywhere else in the country.”

He also directed sharp criticism at Government representatives in the county.

“We have two Government Ministers, a Government TD and a Government Senator here. So where are they? Where were they when this list was compiled? What exactly have they delivered? Because when a list of 105 projects is published and Mayo gets zero, that tells its own story.”

Councillor O’Brien called on the Government to immediately revise the list and ensure Mayo schools receive a fair share of funding.

“This is about fairness, about our children’s future, and about giving rural communities a fighting chance. Mayo deserves better than this. The Government must act now and put Mayo back on the map.”