Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis na finnéithe go léir. Ceapaim go bhfuil gá le i bhfad níos mó Gaelcholáistí eile sna ceantair. To make that point as Béarla, I supported the campaign for a Gaelcholáiste in Dunshaughlin but my experience in Meath has been that I have seen on a number of occasions with Louth and Meath Education and Training Board, LMETB, which has a really good track record as a patron, that the idea of an Irish-language stream seems attractive and ticks that box but it does not materialise. As the speakers have all outlined, it does not work anyway. There is a need to look at that model of competition for patronage to ensure we deliver an all-Irish education for our children. My children are just starting off in the process. Our eldest is in baby infants and our middle child is in a naíonra. We want them to continue their education right through in Irish and at the minute they do not have that opportunity locally, so that needs to change. I am happy to work with Cormac McCashin locally on this.