‘Buckets line corridors to catch rainwater’ – students embarrassed by conditions at Dublin school as calls grow for new building
Students at Coolmine Community School in west Dublin have been walking past buckets placed in corridors to catch rainwater while sitting their Leaving Cert exams, according to a local councillor and parents who say the building is “no longer fit for purpose”.
The school was founded in 1972 and officially opened in 1974. More than 50 years later, calls for a new school building are growing.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said it has received an application for a new school building. The department also said emergency works funding has been approved for roof repairs for the second time this year.
But Labour Party councillor John Walsh, who is a member of the school board, said the new funding is “still not enough to repair all the holes in the roof”.
“The department has indicated that any repair will last only for two years, the roof is too badly damaged. The only sustainable solution is a new school building,” he said.
“Coolmine Community School is a very respected school in the area. It’s a dynamic and inclusive school community, and the staff are doing a fantastic job in really difficult conditions. It’s a very resilient school community, but it has been shamefully neglected.
“A structural engineer’s report identified 25 holes in the roof. Buckets line the corridors to catch rainwater. Students and staff are working in completely unacceptable conditions.
“Students going in to do their Leaving Cert have had to walk through corridors past buckets that are catching rainwater. A school community just can’t be at the mercy of the elements.”
Mr Walsh said that while the school received an initial €80,000 allocation under the Emergency Works Scheme earlier this year, leaks have continued in other parts of the building.
Councillor John Walsh at Coolmine Community School, Dublin
“That funding wasn’t sufficient to cover all the damage,” he said. “It was really only enough to repair one section of the roof and, as a result, another section immediately started to leak again, right before the state examinations,” he said.
An application for a new school building was submitted to the Department of Education in May.
“The department needs to give the green light to a new building because that decision is crucial,” Mr Walsh said. “The minister needs to act urgently to approve the application for a new school building and start the process, because it is fundamentally wrong that staff and students have to operate in such unsafe and substandard conditions.
“Before the emergency works funding was approved earlier this year, a section of the roof in the staff room collapsed. Thankfully, nobody was injured, but that highlights the gravity of the situation.”
Parents have also voiced concerns about the condition of the school and its effect on students.
Orla Dempsey, the mother of twin girls who are due to enter Transition Year and a representative of the school’s parents’ association, said there are concerns about children’s safety.
“We’re obviously concerned about the physical safety and well-being of our children,” she said. “There are accessibility issues for all children – in particular, for students with additional needs when you have buckets in corridors.”
Ms Dempsey said the condition of the building affects students’ “sense of pride” in their school, despite the quality of education being provided.
“There’s no sense of pride in the school building for the kids,” she said. “It’s a fabulous school with great teachers where students can get an excellent education, but the kids are embarrassed.
Capital investment will be targeted and prioritised to meet the most urgent needs
Department of Education and Youth spokesperson
“There are other schools in the area with state-of-the-art facilities, but our children are being left behind. It’s so important for all children to have equality and equity in their education. Children are entitled to a safe school building.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Youth said it had recently received an application from Coolmine Community School for a “large-scale project” involving the construction of a new school building.
Last January, the department published the €7.55bn NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030.
A spokesperson said: “Capital investment will be targeted and prioritised to meet the most urgent needs, focusing on maximising the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance.”
The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later this year, will provide an “additional evidence base for assessing priorities and will give a good picture of the nature of accommodation at all schools”.
The spokesperson added that a decision on Coolmine Community School’s application will be communicated directly to the school authority once the assessment process is complete.