Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 January 2014
49. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will open a new Steiner Waldorf national school in Galway; if he will fully recognise the Raheen Wood and Mol an Óige national schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4633/14]
View answerOn 22 April 2013 my Department invited applications for patronage of new primary schools to open in 2014, one of which is intended for the Galway City West (Knocknacarra) area. Applications for patronage of the proposed school in the Galway area were received from 3 patron bodies, Educate Together, Lifeways Ireland Limited and the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (formerly the VEC). On 26 September 2013, Educate Together were announced by my Department as the patron of an 8-classroom school for the Knocknacarra area in Galway. My Department also announced that consideration is to be given to the establishment of a further 8-classroom school for the Knocknacarra area in 2015 under the patronage of Lifeways Ireland Limited. This will be subject to further prior confirmation that parental demand will support this model and size of school adequately at that time. All of the relevant information, including the full assessment report is available on my Department's website.
In relation to the recognition of the other schools referred to by the Deputy, the Deputy may be aware that a process is in place under which the issue of permanent recognition, for the schools in question, is being assessed. This process is based on the school's progress in fulfilling the undertakings supplied by the school's patron to meet permanent recognition criteria in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act 1998 and the Rules for National Schools. All recognised schools, regardless of their philosophy or ethos, are required to comply with the Education Act 1998 and the Rules for National Schools. My Department met with the schools concerned in September/October 2012 at which it was agreed that a number of issues had to be addressed by the schools so as to satisfy the requirements for permanent recognition. Both the Department and schools concerned have committed to ongoing engagement, and the Department's inspectorate agreed to provide a number of advisory/support visits to the schools to assist them in making progress to fulfil the requirements. The first set of the advisory visits occurred in the last academic year and further visits are scheduled.
It was also agreed that the schools would have their period of provisional recognition extended by three years to allow them adequate time to reach the requirements. This extension will not impede the schools receiving permanent recognition in the interim if the criteria for recognition are satisfactorily met. The extension of provisional recognition recognises the shared commitment between the school community and the Department to further ongoing engagement with the objective of enabling the schools concerned to meet the permanent recognition criteria as soon as possible.
