Dr. Ríona Ní Fhrighil:

We agree with that proposal. In our case, a principal has an opportunity to meet a parent and child to ascertain their home language. As Mr. De Barra stated, it is more of an observation, as it tends to be informal and is often done through play to see how the child reacts to toys and whatnot.

We followed the wording, but also the spirit, of the exception in the regulations for boarding schools. The exception would be used to ascertain the home language, not a child’s academic ability. We should all remember that speakers of Irish are not immune to dyslexia or other forms of learning difficulty or disability. For this reason, it is important that such children are afforded services through their first language, that being, Irish.

I will address Deputy Ó Ríordáin’s point about diversity. Within the Gaelscoil population, the native Irish speaker adds to diversity, as that population is such a tiny minority. We are referring to just one child in 30. It is important that this diversity be preserved.

I will cite Scoil Chaitlín Maude in Tallaght as a school with a commendable policy, in that it encourages native speakers and provides 10% of places for other minority groups, be they linguistic or cultural minorities. As parents who raise children through Irish, we welcome this diversity. We do not want our children to grow up in an ethnic bubble. This approach is great, as it would normalise multiculturalism and multilingualism if our children were educated with others who do not speak English at home. It is important that we preserve the diversity of Gaelscoileanna.