Safety fears as Louth school faces overcrowding crisis

The principal and parents of students attending Scoil Bhríde in Shelagh, Louth are warning that serious safety risks now exist inside the school due to severe overcrowding and are calling for immediate intervention from the Department of Education and Youth.

Enrolment at the small rural school has surged from approximately 30 pupils in 2020 to over 80 today, an increase of over 175% in just five years. The school says that while staffing has expanded accordingly, the building has not.

The school says there are just four usable rooms in the school: one Autism classroom and three mainstream classrooms with no hall, no indoor PE space and no general-purpose room.

One classroom now holds 40 children, two teachers and two SNAs, including a wheelchair user. Parents say the room is beyond capacity, with furniture and bodies filling every available space.

In the event of a fire or emergency evacuation, families fear the consequences.

A separate 29m² room, originally intended for special education support, is being used as a full mainstream classroom, outside the Department’s minimum size of 55m² because there is nowhere else to put the children.

“The minimum requirement for a primary school classroom is… 55 metres squared,” explained Principal Trasa Minnock.

“One of our classrooms is actually 29 metres squared, and the other one is, I think, 70-ish metres squared, but it has 40 kids in it and four adult staff. We just don’t have the accommodation for the number of children that we have.”

Corridors are being used as overflow working areas and according to Ms Minnock approximately 60 to 70 pupils rely on five toilet cubicles and two hand basins, with inadequate facilities for children with additional needs.

With no hall or indoor space, children remain confined to overcrowded classrooms during wet weather. There is no safe indoor alternative for PE, assemblies or movement breaks. Parents say this has a direct impact on children’s wellbeing, particularly younger pupils and those with additional needs who require space to regulate and move.

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In October 2023, the school agreed to open two Autism Classes following engagement with the National Council for Special Education. They say the agreement was based on assurances that modular classrooms and appropriate facilities would be delivered for September 2024.

However, Ms Minnock said the process has been marked by repeated delays.

“October 2023 everything began, but at that point then they kind of parked our application because they said that there was an embargo on modular builds for autism classes,” she said.

A further Additional School Accommodation application was submitted in 2025 at the request of the Department’s Planning and Building Unit after the school gained an additional teaching post.

“I submitted another additional school accommodation application… and then about a month ago… the lady [from the department] that I consulted asked me to write a letter to support my application. So it's basically a delay tactic, as far as I can gather.”

She added that communication since has been minimal.

“Her email was, ‘I will be reviewing your school’s accommodation requirements in the coming days and will be in touch further if I need clarification.’ And that was the 16th of February and I've sent her several things since and I haven’t heard anything since.”

While one Autism Class opened under significant strain, the second sanctioned class cannot proceed because there is nowhere to house it.

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Looking ahead to September 2026, the principal said numbers will continue to edge upward. Eight pupils are due to leave this year, with approximately ten expected to enrol.

“We’ve gained about 10 kids every year since 2020,” Ms Minnock said. “We expect a plateau, we don’t expect our numbers to reduce. So the accommodation won’t go to waste.”

Donna Daly, a parent of three children at the school, said the situation has now moved beyond inconvenience.

“We have an amazing school community and staff. The overcrowding has increased each year, but this is no longer just about inconvenience — it is about safety. Forty children and four adults in one classroom, including a wheelchair user, is frightening when you stop and think about what would happen in an emergency. There is no space. There is no clear exit route.

“On wet days, our children are confined to these overcrowded rooms because there is no hall. They cannot even access basic movement breaks.

“We are deeply worried about what September will bring when even more children enrol. Our children deserve to feel safe in their school. Right now, many parents simply do not feel reassured.”

Ms Minnock said staff remain committed but are under mounting pressure.

“Our school is a close, caring community and our staff work incredibly hard to create a calm and supportive environment. But the physical reality of our building is now causing genuine concern.

“We are asking children and staff to operate in spaces that are stretched beyond what is reasonable. In an emergency scenario, safe evacuation would be extremely challenging. That is not a position any teacher wants to be in.

“We have engaged constructively for several years seeking additional accommodation. Our enrolment growth has been steady and predictable. We urgently need decisive action before the situation deteriorates further.”

The Department of Education and Youth were asked to comment on the matter but did not respond.