Gaelscoil Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 June 2019

Wednesday, 19 June 2019

Questions (127)

Brendan Ryan

Question:

127. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 166 of 14 May 2019, the date on which the new Gaelcholáiste will officially open; the accommodation that has been sourced in a centre (details supplied) to enable the opening; the progress made on the provision of temporary accommodation at a school as future temporary accommodation for the Gaelcholáiste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25692/19]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

In relation to the planned new Gaelcholáiste to which the Deputy refers, my Department has recently received correspondence from the school patron, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, which sets out that for operational reasons the ETB has decided it is in the best interest of the school communities in the Maynooth and surrounding areas to defer the opening of this new school from September 2019 to September 2020.

The Gaelcholáiste will be located on the current Maynooth Post Primary School/Maynooth Community College grounds which will be coming available as these schools move to the Maynooth Education Campus.

The ETB has indicated that a high number of expressions of interest for September 2020 have already been received and that enrolment will commence in Autumn 2019 for September 2020.