Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 May 2021
193. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education the number of Gaelscoil places available in the Dublin 1, 7 and 9 areas for September 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28793/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra194. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education if she will increase funding for Gaelscoileanna in the Dublin 1, 7 and 9 areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28794/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together.
As part of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, my Department has committed to creating opportunities for expanding Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht in the context of the April 2018 announcement on the establishment of new schools from 2019 to 2022, which will afford particular consideration to the establishment of Gaelscoileanna, Gaelcholáistí, and Aonaid Lán-Ghaeilge as part of the new patronage process.
Following the announcements since April 2018, my Department has developed a new Online Patronage Process System (OPPS), which provides objective information and allows parents to express their preferences in relation to the patronage and language of instruction, i.e. Irish or English, of these new schools (with the exception of those schools which have been designated as Irish-medium gaelscoileanna in advance of the OPPS opening for parents). Parental preferences, as well as other considerations such as the extent of diversity of provision in an area (including Irish-medium provision), are key to the decision-making process.
In addition, in September 2019, the Government announced measures to increase access to Irish-medium education as part of the patronage process, including that five new primary schools being established from 2020-2022 are being designated for Irish-medium education. This step is part of a framework which includes:
- Designating the language of a new primary school as Irish in some circumstances;
- Testing (on a pilot basis) the potential to cater for demand for English and Irish medium provision through, for example, delivering two 8-classroom primary schools (one English-medium and one Irish-medium) in a shared building/campus rather than delivering one 16-classroom primary school, subject to factors such as demand and site conditions;
- Exploring the potential to expand existing Irish-medium primary schools to meet unmet demand in an area;
- Providing opportunities for patrons of existing primary schools to change the language of instruction from English to Irish, such as is envisaged as part of the Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process.
Details of schools that provide education through the medium of Irish are available on my Department's website www.education.ie.
There is currently 6 Gaelscoil catering for the Dublin 1, 7 and 9 areas.
Details of the places available at the school are outlined below:
- Gaelscoil Colaiste Mhuire Dublin 1 - currently caters for 8 mainstream teachers and there is a building project planned to provide a 16-classroom school at stage 2b of architectural planning.
- Scoil Caoimhin Dublin 1 - currently caters for 3 mainstream teachers and there is spare capacity in this school.
- Gaelscoil Barra Dublin 7 - This school was provided with a new school in 2017 and caters for 10 mainstream teachers.
- Scoil Mobhi Dublin 9 - this school has capacity for 10 mainstream classes.
- Gaelscoil Bhaile Munna Dublin 9 - this school was provided with a new 8-classroom school in 2017
- Gaelscoil Aine in Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1 - recently opened in 2019 in interim accommodation and will be providing for a 8-classroom school in the long term.
