Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. It has been touched on by Deputy Connolly that in 2020, 4,723 pupils left sixth class in Irish-medium primary schools but only 1,688 of those continued into Irish-medium secondary schools. This means the majority, that is, 2,456 pupils, had to go on to English-speaking schools. This clearly is a huge cliff edge for those who want to continue their education through Irish. That issue is a nationwide issue. That cliff edge occurs right across the country but it is highlighted for me in my own area of Dublin Bay South, that is Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8, where there are 20 English-language secondary schools but there are no secondary schools working through the medium of Irish in those areas. To highlight this, there are six primary schools in Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 but there are no Gaelcholáistí. Where are those students going to continue their education? Due to Coláiste Synge which is not too far from here, I hear young children speaking Irish in Kevin Street, in the Iveagh Trust buildings and in the flats at O'Carroll Villas and Mercier House. These are young children of seven and eight years of age. I had never heard that before and it is absolutely fantastic. I can tell the committee that these children are not going to travel and continue to go to Rathfarnham to secondary school which is what I understand is being proposed. We need a secondary school in Dublin 2, 4, 6, and 8 that can service those young students. Catherine Clinch who stared in the Oscar-nominated Irish-language film "An Cailín Ciúin" attends one of these Irish-medium primary schools and she and her classmates will have to continue their education in English unless there is a secondary school in the area. They are not all going to be able to travel the distances required to attain an Irish-medium school. What is the logic for refusing to put in a Gaelcholáiste in Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8? The numbers are there. The Minister mentioned earlier that only 400 students are needed to establish a school. I imagine out of those Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 areas, there would be 400 students, or close to that number anyway. What are the obstacles the Minister sees? Going to Rathfarnham or Coláiste Íosagáin or Coláiste Eoin is not going to happen for many of the students living in the inner city and it is a huge obstacle. As I say, it is great to hear so many young kids from the inner city speaking Irish. It is a shame that we cannot see beyond the numbers and the statistics and look at what impact it is having on communities in the inner city.