Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the officials for coming before the committee. My first question is a general one about how we can get more Gaelcholáistí established. I raise this matter in reference to my constituency, Dublin Bay South, in which there are six Gaelscoileanna - all bunscoileanna - that are very popular and have good records and to which parents are very committed. However, there is no Gaelcholáiste in the constituency, which I am using as an example of the situation throughout the country. Whenever we speak to parents in order to discover their preference, it is necessarily the case, because there are many more non-Gaelscoileanna than Gaelscoileanna in the constituency, that a vote is not going to be in favour of an all-Irish Gaelcholáiste. The same will happen throughout the country. However, there is still significant interest in and demand for such provision. Can we ensure that the opportunity is given to parents to have their children educated in a Gaelcholáiste in circumstances where they may not have the absolute democratic power to achieve it by means of a vote and in the context of our obligation to ensure that the language is protected?