The annual stress of getting into secondary school in Galway City is already at its worst for many years with waiting lists of several hundred now running at some second level schools after applications were invited over the last month.

An increase in population and in particular numbers of young people are causing severe competition for limited places in both the city and surrounding suburbs, with many parents having to resign themselves to not knowing where their offspring will go until late August as offers are accepted and rejected.

That’s if they even get accepted.

Moycullen Senator Sean Kyne last week spoke in the Seanad of the plight of at least two families who have had to resort to homeschooling since September – one new to the area and another long-term residents.

“It is an intolerable situation for parents who are scrambling around and told they are 150th, 90th, 50th or even first on the waiting list and still cannot get into a chosen school,” he exclaimed.

“It is of chronic concern across the city and county. I am concerned about what will happen next September based on the prognosis from school principals.”

Clarin College and Presentation College in Athenry are at full capacity. The new school in Claregalway is at capacity and the new Educate Together school – which has already moved twice – is awaiting a permanent site in the Oranmore area.

Calasanctius College in Oranmore is at capacity while St Joseph’s Patrician College, or The Bish, is in the planning system for a new 1,000-pupil school in Dangan in a land swap with the University of Galway.

Coláiste Muire Máthair – formed with the amalgamation of three schools – also has a project at stage 1 for a proposed 1,000-pupil school on its current campus on St Mary’s Road.

St Paul’s Secondary School in Oughterard, Salerno Secondary School and Dominican College in Taylor’s Hill all have lengthy waiting lists for the coming academic year with demand only expected to increase.

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