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School Enrolments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 May 2014

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

Questions (57, 67)

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

Question:

57. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason his Department has failed to cater for the increased demand at a school (details supplied) in County Sligo for places at infants class, when the stated aim of this Government is to promote the active usage of the Irish language; his views on whether such a failure is a missed opportunity to have more Irish persons begin their learning in the medium of Irish rather than English; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23429/14]

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Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

67. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supports being provided by his Department to a school (details supplied) in County Sligo to address the lack of appropriate accommodation for children wishing to attend the school. [23537/14]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 67 together.

My Department has received an application from the gaelscoil to which the Deputy refers to expand from a single to a two stream school i.e. from an 8 classroom to a 16 classroom school. As the Deputies will be aware, the over-riding objective of Education capital expenditure is to meet the demographic challenge facing the education system. A priority therefore for my Department is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places and avoid a position where the development of one school may impact negatively on other schools in the area. To assess further the pupil enrolment trends in the Sligo area, my Department has contacted the school authorities of the 13 primary schools in the Sligo area in relation to pupil enrolment data including information on school pre-enrolments for the 2014/2015 academic year. This data, when obtained and reviewed, will also assist my Department further in assessing the issue of overall demand for education through the medium of Irish. My Department also intends to meet with the school authority in question this week to discuss the matter further.

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