Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017
280. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current levels of demand for places in gaelcholáistí across the country; the extent to which his Department's recent demographic analysis took into account the demand for places in gaelscoileanna and gaelcholáistí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13211/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra281. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the actions he is taking to ensure more communities are provided with access to gaelscoileanna and gaelcholáistí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13212/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together.
For school planning purposes, my Department plans school provision across a framework of 314 school planning areas in order to assess and meet changing demographic needs throughout the country. My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The GIS uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic analyses to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
When it is decided that a new school is required to meet demographic needs in an area, my Department runs a separate patronage process to decide who will operate the school. This patronage process incorporates consideration of, and the potential for, Irish-medium provision. It is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons, including patrons involved in Irish-medium provision and indeed any prospective patron which wishes to provide Irish-medium education, to apply for patronage of a new school under the patronage process. Parental preferences for each patron, together with the extent of diversity currently available in the area, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process.
Following consideration of feedback from patrons, for the 2016 patronage process concerning the patronage of the nine new post-primary schools to open in 2017 and 2018 and the ongoing patronage process concerning the patronage of the four primary schools opening in 2017 and 2018, my Department has moved to incorporate the medium of instruction of a proposed new school as an integral part of the patronage assessment and recommendation process. In this regard, as part of the application process, prospective patrons must submit completed parental preferences and indicate their preference for their child(ren) to be educated through that patron's school model and also their preference with regard to education through the medium of English or Irish. The assessment process includes an analysis of the extent of diversity including language, already available in an area and the adjacent school planning areas.
As the Deputy will appreciate, my Department does not hold information in relation to lists of applicants or waiting lists of individual schools and therefore it is not possible to provide the details sought in relation to gaelcholáistí.
My Department will continue to make provision for Irish-medium education where it is feasible to do so.
