I pay tribute to Coiste Méanscoil Átha Cliath Iar Thuaidh, led by Ray Ó Ceal-laigh and Áine Ní Aodhgán, which has done wonderful work to progress the cause of an all-Irish second level school in our area. Tá meas oll-mhór agam ar an obair iontach tábhachtach atá déanta ag an choiste.
Before the general election the Minister and his colleagues made a promise to the coiste that in Government they would very sympathetically examine the prospect of establishing a second level school for the north east and north central areas of Dublin. Up to January of this year we felt there was every prospect for the school. A meeting between the coiste and the Minister's officials was held in Tullamore at which it seemed clear the school would start this September. However, the coiste and the many hundreds of supportive parents in the north east of Dublin feel they have been cruelly deceived and let down by the Government.
The coiste has done astonishing work on behalf of the Irish language and Irish language education over the past number of years. For example, it worked very hard to negotiate with CDVEC and received a promise of support from it, its chief executive and its chairman, Senator Joe Costello. The coiste located a site at Scoil Neasáin in Artane. It has held detailed meetings with the Minister's Department, but we have reached a situation where it seems the hopes of the committee and its hard working supporters have been dashed.
The Minister is aware of the huge upsurge in Irish language education and interest in it in the northside of Dublin over the past decade. In my area we have the wonderful facility of Gaelscoil Míde in Kilbarrack, which has an enrolment of several hundred pupils, Scoil Neasáin, Scoil Cholm Cille, Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch and many others. There clearly is a basic stream of pupils ready and available to take advantage of a new méanscoil. Many parents feel that having had the facility of these primary schools, which they worked very hard to establish, the least they could be offered is a second level facility. They are also concerned with the difficulty of children travelling many miles across northside Dublin to the centre of the city.
We felt the Minister was looking at the project sympathetically and was prepared to examine and comment favourably on the preparatory work which has been done. The parents had up to 40 children willing to become pupils of the school and the coiste has located a good site. Yet nothing has happened.
The Minister is aware of a number of other issues in the constituency. For example, Scoil Eoin in Kilbarrack, which is in a very deprived area, should have disadvantaged status. There are problems with school debts and fundraising and an urgent necessity for a home-school liaison officer at Chanel College in Coolock. We are asking for an initiative in relation to third level education, namely, our northside partnership support programme for children and young people from deprived areas going to third level. There is a range of issues on which we would like the Minister to take action. Over the past number of months he should have been much more vigorous in addressing them. Many of the earlier issues which arose were very favourably addressed by his predecessor, Niamh Bhreathnach.
The failure to grant sanction this year for the establishment of the school is felt most bitterly in my constituency, the neighbouring Dublin North Central and parts of Dublin North West. The preparatory work has been completed and the Minister indicated he was considering the issue sympathetically prior to the general election. We would like him to deliver on his promise now.
