(Ireland) Demand for SPED support growing; $690M overspend "threatens school delivery"

Mar 27, 2026, Labour: Education budget chaos puts school buildings and staffing plans at risk – Kenny - The Labour Party

• €600m [$690M] overspend threatens school delivery

Labour’s Education Spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has expressed serious concern following reports that a €600 million overspend in the Department of Education will be offset by cutting planned spending increases in other departments.

Deputy Kenny said:

“This is deeply worrying for schools, students and staff right across the country. Government mismanagement of the education budget is now creating real uncertainty about school building projects and staffing allocations.

“Schools are already under immense pressure. Student numbers are rising, demand for special education supports is growing, and many communities are crying out for new classrooms and modern school buildings. The last thing schools need is doubt about whether funding will be there.

“The idea that the Department can overspend by hundreds of millions and simply plug the gap by cutting spending elsewhere is not credible. It raises serious questions about whether planned school projects, classroom expansions and teacher and SNA allocations will now be delayed or scaled back.

“Our school communities will be asking very basic questions today. Will our school extension go ahead? Will new special classes open? Will staffing be protected? Government must answer those questions clearly and without delay.

“As a member of the Public Accounts Committee, I will be raising this as a priority when the Department appears before us in the coming weeks. There must be full transparency about how this overspend occurred, when it was identified, what controls failed, and what the consequences will be for frontline education provision.

“I’m calling on the Minister for Education and the Minister for Public Expenditure to urgently confirm that no school building projects will be delayed, no education capital projects will be cut, and no teacher or SNA allocations will be impacted as a result of this failure.

“Education is too important to be handled in this chaotic way. Schools and families need certainty, proper planning and accountability, not last-minute budget crises that put essential services at risk.”