Vol. 468 No. 4
496 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Education if she has completed her consideration of an application for the establishment of a gaelscoil in the general Whitehall area of Dublin 9; if approval will be given to commence the school in September 1996; the number of applications for new gaelscoileanna that have been submitted nationally in 1996; and the number of applications approved to date. [15580/96]
A detailed examination of the application for provisional recognition of a gaelscoil in Whitehall, Dublin 9 has been completed in my Department. Having given due consideration to the matter, I have decided that the application should be refused in light of the negative impact which the establishment of a gaelscoil in the area would have on the enrolments of neighbouring schools. My Department is in the process of advising the promoters of this decision. In all, 14 applications for the establishment of gaelscoileanna have been submitted to my Department in 1996. Of these, six have been approved to date, five have been refused and a decision on the remaining three applications is expected imminently.
