asked the Minister for Education if he will state on what date Lóthair School, Currán, Cíll Áirne (10045), was removed from the list of schools scheduled as being in the Fíor-Ghaeltacht; whether, before such removal, an investigation into the condition of the Irish language in the school district and in the school was carried out; by whom and on what dates these investigations were carried out; what were the results of the investigation; on what grounds was the school removed from the list; what was the effect of this removal; also, whether, since the time of the removal of this school from the list, any investigations into the position of the language in the district have been carried out; and if so, if he will state when, by whom, and with what results.
Written Answers. - Fíor-Ghaeltacht Schools.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state on what date Naomh Eoin School, Caisleach, Maistirgaoithe, Ciarraighe (16018), was removed from the list of schools scheduled as being in the Fíor-Gaeltacht; whether, before such removal, an investigation into the condition of the Irish language in the school district and in the school was carried out; by whom and on what dates these investigations were carried out; what were the results of the investigation; on what grounds was the school removed from the list; what was the effect of this removal; also, whether, since the time of the removal of this school from the list, any investigations into the position of the language in the district have been carried out; and if so, if he will state when, by whom, and with what results.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state on what date Duibhinn School, Na Gleannta, Tírconaill (16383), was removed from the list of schools scheduled as being in Fíor-Gaeltacht; whether before such removal, an investigation into the condition of the Irish language in the school district and in the school was carried out; by whom and on what dates these investigations were carried out; what were the results of the investigation; on what grounds was the school removed from the list; what was the effect of this removal; also, whether, since the time of the removal of this school from the list, any investigations into the position of the language in the district have been carried out; and if so, if he will state when, by whom, and with what results.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state on what date An Gleann School, Baile na Sceilge, Ciarraighe (8147), was removed from the list of schools scheduled as being in the Fíor-Gaeltacht; whether, before such removal, an investigation into the condition of the Irish language in the school district and in the school was carried out; by whom and on what dates these investigations were carried out; what were the results of the investigations; on what grounds was the school removed from the list; what was the effect of this removal; also, whether, since the time of the removal of this school from the list, any investigations into the position of the language in the district have been carried out; and if so, if he will state when, by whom, and with what results.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state on what date the Bun a' Choire (Cailíní) School, Conndae Mhuigheo (16902), was removed from the list of schools scheduled as being in the Fíor-Gaeltacht; whether, before such removal, an investigation into the condition of the Irish language in the school district and in the school was carried out; by whom and on what dates these investigations were carried out; what were the results of the investigation; on what grounds was the school removed from the list; what was the effect of this removal; also, whether, since the time of the removal of this school from the list, any investigations into the position of the language in the district have been carried out; and if so, if he will state when, by whom, and with what results.
I propose to take the question regarding Lóthar, Naomh Eoin, Duibhinn, An Gleann, and Bun a' Choire National Schools together.
It was decided to remove these schools from the list of Fíor-Ghaeltacht schools as from the following dates:—
Lóthar, Ciarraighe (10045)—1st July, 1945.
Naomh Eoin, Ciarraighe (16018)—1st July, 1945.
Duibhinn, Tír Chonaill (16383)—1st July, 1946.
An Gleann, Ciarraighe (8147)—1st July, 1945.
Bun a' Choire, Maigh Eo (16902)—1st July, 1943.
This decision was based on the results of the annual investigations in connection with the award of the bonus to parents of Irish-speaking children in each school district. These investigations in each case were carried out by the local district inspector on various dates in each school year.
The circumstances in which the Department's decision in such cases is, for administrative purposes, based on the results of the investigations in connection with the bonus to parents have already been explained by me in reply to the Deputy's question of 25th February, 1947, regarding the case of Baile Ciaragáin National School, Tír Chonaill. The investigations in the schools named in the Deputy's present questions showed that the bonus to parents had been awarded in respect of less than 50 per cent. of eligible children attending each school in the school year prior to the date of the Department's decision and that the percentage figure had generally shown a continuous decrease for some years previously. It was on these grounds that the Department decided to remove the schools in question from the list of Fíor-Ghaeltacht schools.
On the removal of a school from the list of Fíor-Ghaeltacht schools a teacher therein ceases to be eligible for the special grant by way of a percentage increase in salary allowed to teachers under Rule 121 of the Department's code and the children are no longer eligible for the special concessions allowed to children from Fíor-Ghaeltacht schools in connection with admission to the teaching profession and for various scholarships awarded by the Department to such children.
I should point out that the removal of a school from the list does not involve the refusal of the bonus to parents in whose cases the conditions for the bonus as specified in Rule 121 (4) are fulfilled. To the extent, therefore, that payment of the bonus still operates in the case of parents in these school districts, the local inspectors have each year made inquiries into the position of the language in the district. In each case, the result of their inquiry each year since the date of removal has been that the bonus to parents has been awarded in respect of less than 50 per cent. of the eligible children attending these schools.
Having regard, however, to representations made in connection with the removal from the list of another school, it was recently considered desirable in cases where schools had been removed from the list solely on the evidence available from the investigations concerning the bonus to parents, that the conditions in regard to the Irish language in the school district should be specially investigated by the Department's inspectors. These cases include the five schools referred to by the Deputy. The inspectors' reports are not yet available.