11. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education her views on the importance of promoting the provision of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7382/25]

Sentiment score: 0.21

Is í mo cheist chun an Aire inniu ná faoin tábhacht a bhaineann leis an nGaeloideachas, na Gaelcholáistí agus Gaelscoileanna a chur chun cinn. I am wondering about the Minister's views on the importance of promoting the provision of Gaeloideachas, Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. I ask her to make a statement on the matter.

Sentiment score: 0.21

I appreciate both the Minister's commitment and the commitment in the programme for Government to Gaeloideachas. There is a huge need. The Minister referred to providing more Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand for it. I assure her there is demand for it, and I will come back to that in a second. There are, as far as I know, only 79 Gaelcholáistí in the country and 291 Gaelscoileanna. We only have two Gaelscoileanna and two Gaelcholáistí in my constituency of Dún Laoghaire, namely Coláiste Íosagáin and Coláiste Eoin, which are colocated on a campus in Stillorgan. The two Gaelscoileanna are Scoil Lorcáin and Gaelscoil Phádraig in Ballybrack. The latter requires resettlement to a site in Ballyowen Meadows. The school is waiting for a survey to be done on that and I hope the Minister will also progress that matter for it.

Sentiment score: 0.21

That is exactly the issue that has led me to ask this question, namely the criteria and how the Department assesses whether there is a demand. In my constituency, as I said there are two Gaelcholáistí colocated, Coláiste Íosagáin and Coláiste Eoin, but there is an enormous demand because although there are only two Gaelscoileanna in the adjacent areas - it must be remembered that in Dublin constituencies there are more condensed geographic areas - there is a demand for secondary education trí mheán na Gaeilge. In Cherrywood in south Dublin, a site is earmarked for a school. As far as I know, planning and everything else has been done. The Department has yet to decide on the patronage for the school. The problem is that if the Department uses a narrow geographic criteria which it currently uses, it will only ask the community immediately adjacent to Cherrywood. Of course, Cherrywood is on the Luas and is at the end of many bus lines. Therefore, there is easy access to the area for a much wider geographic community. I need the Department to look at wider criteria and the widespread community of people whose children are in Gaelscoileanna nó a labhraíonn Gaeilge sa bhaile so that they can be included in those criteria.

Sentiment score: -0.05