I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Alien to the House. I want to speak about the Gael campus for Gaelscoil Uí Dhoghair and the Gaelcholáiste in Caisleán Nua Thiar.
Tá an-suim ag muiuntir Chaisleáin Nua Thiar sa Ghaeilge. Tá coiste Chonradh na Gaeilge an-láidir sa bhaile. Gach seachtain bíonn fógraí pobail sna nuachtáin áitiúla as Gaeilge. Deirtear go bhfuil cultúr na Gaeilge, damhsa, siamsa agus ceol go han-bheo sa cheantar agus dá bhrí sin ní raibh aon athbheochan den teanga ann mar nach raibh aon bhás.
Ní raibh iontas ar duine ar bith nuair a bunaíodh Gaelscoil Uí Dhoghair i 1985. Ón am sin tá an scoil ag dul ó fheabhas go feabhas. Anois tá ocht muinteoir agus 225 dalta sa scoil. I 1993 bunaíodh an Gaelcholáiste i dteach cónaithe atá athraithe ina scoil ag an vocational education committee. I mbliana tá 22 dalta ag freastal air. Tá an Gaelscoil suite i lárionad pobail agus i bhfoirgnimh réamhthógtha i gclós an lárionaid. Níl sé sin oiriúnach ar chor ar bith.
The Gaelscoil, as I said, is situated in the local community centre and in the prefabs located around the school. It is currently under threat of eviction because the prefabs have limited planning permission and the authority is desperately looking for an alternative site. There are currently 225 pupils and 24 pupils were refused admission last September because of a lack of space.
There can be no doubt that there is a great deal of interest in the Irish language in the area and the pupils come not only from the town but from a radius of 15 to 20 miles. It has now reached a crisis stage and children are being denied basic facilities. The same is true of the Gaelcholáiste which is located in a converted house. It has a projected pupil population of 41 next September.
The idea is that a Gael campus could accommodate the Gaelscoil and the Gaelcholáiste, a naonra for the young children and perhaps some element of Outreach adult education. The Department oftered the Gaelscoil £30,000 for a site. There were not too many suitable sites available in the town at that price or, when a suitable site was found, other factors deemed it unsuitable. For example, one site was suitable, but the asking price doubled once the seller heard that the Department of Education wanted to buy it. This site is publicly owned by Shannon Development and it has easy access to other community facilities, such as a vocational school, a library and an open air swimming pool. The Courtney boys school is also close by. I urge the Minister to consider the concept of a combined Gaelscoil and Gaelcholáiste as a suitable development. This Gaelscoil has been successfully twinned with schools in Chartres en Bretagne in France. It is known there as l'école Gaelique and French is also taught in the school.
I would like to share my time with Senator Neville.
