Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 December 2020
298. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education the required data and documentation and the process and contacts required for the establishment of a new Gaelscoil; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42642/20]
View answerMy Department establishes and supports new schools where a demographic need for a new school has been identified.
As the Deputy may be aware, my Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and the Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed.
Major new residential developments in an area also have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, my Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date data on significant new residential development in each area.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, depending on the circumstances, be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools
- Provision of a new school or schools.
In some instances where a new primary school is required, the new schools are designated as Irish-medium gaelscoileanna in advance of the patronage process, in accordance with a framework in place since September 2019.
For other primary schools, parental preferences for applicant patrons, along with their preference for the language of instruction (Irish or English) of the new school, from parents of children who reside in the school planning areas concerned, together with the extent of diversity currently available in these areas, form part of the patronage process, and are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process. It is through this process that a new primary school can be an Irish-medium Gaelscoil or an English-medium school.
Separately, the Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity Process is being developed and is intended to also provide an opportunity to increase the number of Gaelscoileanna nationwide. This process is aimed at accelerating the delivery of multi-denominational and non-denominational schools towards the Government target of 400 such schools by 2030. The process, which involves the live transfer of existing schools, is designed to provide additional multi-/non-denominational schools in Irish or English and an opportunity is available to English-medium schools seeking to make a transition to Irish-medium provision in that context, in line with the expressed wishes of parents and the local school community. Separately to the main Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity Process, school communities can directly engage with their school patron regarding transfer of patronage to become a multi-denominational school, including a multi-denominational Irish-medium school. Any school which is seeking a transfer of patronage should contact their school patron directly.
There is no separate mechanism by which new independent primary schools established by private parties are recognised and/or supported by the Department.
