Plans to build two new schools in Goatstown have been blocked after Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council ruled the Department of Education’s design failed to comply with local zoning requirements.
The decision, issued on Monday, August 19, marks a major setback for a project that has already been years in the making.
The Department had applied to construct a 16-classroom primary school and a 1,000-pupil post-primary school on the former Irish Glass Bottle site in Goatstown.
The campus was intended to provide badly needed school places in one of Dublin’s most pressured areas, but planners said the proposal breached zoning rules for the land.
The site is subject to Zoning Objective ‘F’, which seeks “to preserve and provide for open space with ancillary active recreational amenities.”
Under the County Development Plan, no more than 40 per cent of land with this zoning can be developed with buildings and car parking, while the remaining 60 per cent must be reserved for publicly accessible open space or playing fields.
Council planners found that the Department’s layout fell far short of that balance, leaving too little land for public recreation.
They ruled that this made the application contrary to the zoning objective and to proper planning principles.
The refusal drew a strong response from Green Party councillor Robert Jones, who said the decision highlighted fundamental flaws in how the Department has handled the project.
“After more than a year of repeated assessments, expensive external consultancy advice, and multiple submissions, the Department of Education has produced a plan that fails on what is arguably the most fundamental requirement of the site,” he said.
“The Goatstown project has trundled along at a snail’s pace, costing taxpayers both time and money, and now it has fallen at a basic hurdle of zoning compliance.
“This raises serious concerns about whether the Department has the right staff, expertise, and processes to manage critical infrastructure projects of this scale.”
Cllr Jones said the setback was about more than just planning law.
“This is not just about planning law. It is about competence, accountability, and proper stewardship of public funds. How can a project that passes through multiple layers of procurement, consultancy, and internal review fail on such a basic zoning requirement?
“The Department must urgently address these issues before further delays or waste occur.”
The rejection is particularly concerning for local families, as demand for school places in Goatstown, Dundrum and Kilmacud has surged in recent years.
Parents in these areas have long reported difficulties securing primary and secondary school places, with many forced to look further afield. The two new schools were expected to relieve some of that pressure.
Instead, the refusal means further delays as the Department will have to revisit the plans and submit a redesigned proposal that complies with zoning requirements.
That process could add months, if not years, to the timeline for delivering new classrooms.
Cllr Jones called on Education Minister Helen McEntee to take immediate action.
“Minister, the local community cannot wait any longer,” he said.
“The lack of school places in this part of Dublin is a cause of huge stress and concern to families. It is time for decisive action to get this project back on track swiftly.”
Local councillors have repeatedly warned that the shortage of school places in south Dublin is reaching crisis point, with population growth in new housing developments far outstripping the delivery of educational infrastructure.