St Eunan’s Board of Management is seeking an urgent meeting with Minster for Education following an emergency meeting convened to address its exclusion from the Department of Education’s 2026 priority list.
In an open statement this afternoon, the Board of Management have described this decision as a “fundamental breach of the trust placed in the state by the people of the North West”.
The statement reads: “The Board of Management of St Eunan’s College, representing our patron, parents, staff, students, and the wider Letterkenny community, writes today to express its profound outrage.
“Following an emergency meeting convened to address our exclusion from the Department of Education’s 2026 priority list, the Board has concluded that this decision is not merely a disappointment; it is a fundamental breach of the trust placed in the state by the people of the North West.
“Our school has not seen a significant building project since the 1970s. For nearly fifty years, we have maintained a standard of excellence in facilities that were never designed for the modern era. For thirty years, through the tenures of three successive Presidents/Principals—Fr Michael Carney, Mr Chris Darby, and Mr Damien McCroary—we have campaigned with patience, dignity, and total compliance.
“In 2019, St Eunan’s was included in the ADAPT 2 programme, specifically designed as a ‘fast-track’ mechanism for urgent school builds. Seven years into this designation, and thirty years into our campaign, we remain without a start date. Our concern is not with the inclusion of other schools on the priority list, but rather the lack of a clear, evidence-based explanation for our own omission.
“The Board is seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister for Education, the Planning and Building Unit, and senior political representatives to move past generalities and establish a concrete roadmap for our project. We are currently overseeing a critical infrastructural crisis.”
The Board said the safety of the school’s 1,000 students is a “non-negotiable priority”, adding that the “current state of our facilities represents a failure of the state to meet its most basic duty of care”.
The statement states: “We are at a point where the physical limitations of our campus are beginning to diverge dangerously from the high standards of safety and modern education we are mandated to provide. Finding a resolution is no longer a matter of preference; it is a matter of basic health and safety requirements.”
The Board says it is “immensely grateful” for the solidarity shown by the wider community over the past week. A community petition has been launched.
“The support from our local feeder schools, GAA clubs, businesses, and public representatives reinforces the fact that this is a collective regional priority. While our disappointment and frustration are significant, our focus remains on finding a professional and immediate way forward. To this end, the Board is overseeing the development of a strategic plan to engage all necessary national and local channels.
“We have also launched a community petition to formalise the widespread support for our new build. The students and staff of St Eunan’s College deserve a future that is safe and secure. We are calling on the Department of Education to replace silence with communication, and delays with a definitive plan.
“We have had decades of promises; we are now seeking a partnership that delivers a school building reflective of the excellence of our young men and the dedication of our staff. We remain committed to working with all parties to resolve this crisis and ensure the long-term future of education in Letterkenny.”
Read more: https://donegalnews.com/disappointment-as-st-eunans-overlooked-for-much-needed-funding/
