Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)

Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil ard-mheas agam don Ghaeilge. Fuaireas mo chuid oideachais ina iomlán trí Gaeilge i gColáiste Íosagáin, Baile Bhúirne. Bhíos ann mar bhí an rogha ag mo thuismitheoirí mise a chur go Baile Bhúirne nó aon scoil eile. Bhí ard-mheas acu agus agamsa, áfach, don Ghaeilge agus sin an fáth go ndeachaigh mé go scoil lán-Gaelach i mBaile Bhúirne. An fadhb atá ann anois ná nach bhfuil aon rogha ag tuismitheoiríó Chorca Dhuibhne oideachas a fháil dá leanaí ach i bPobalscoil Corca Dhuibhne. Níl rogha acu ach oideachas lán-Gaelach. Níl an díospóireacht seo ar siúl i dtaobh Gaeilge nó Béarla, ach i dtaobh oideachas agus rogha.

Since the beginning of the year children at Pobailscoil Corca Dhuibhne have been taught solely through the medium of Irish. This system caters for students with a full command of written and spoken Irish, but the vast majority of students living in the area are not fluent enough to adhere to this strict regime. In March 2007 a survey was carried out by teachers at the CBS school in Dingle in which pupils were asked if they had answered questions on their mock exam papers through Irish or English and the reasons for their choice. Of 33 junior certificate students surveyed, 26 had answered through English and seven through Irish. In the case of leaving certificate students, all 21 surveyed had answered through English. This survey was not sanctioned by the school but the results were distributed in the presence of Department of Education and Science facilitator, Mr. Austin Corcoran. The Department is now fully aware of the enforcement of the all-Irish policy, since the Children's Ombudsman, the Equality Tribunal and parents contacted it with their concerns. Parents see this as an educational matter and are extremely concerned for the welfare of their children.

While Pobailscoil Corca Dhuibhne is located in a Gaeltacht area, the fact remains that Dingle is as cosmopolitan a town as any other in the country. Some 30 nationalities are represented there. Annascaul is in the catchment area of Pobailscoil Corca Dhuibhne, where children in national schools have been taught totally through the medium of English. This all-Irish policy should be reviewed. There is discrimination against students in the catchment area of the school. Parents are worried because their children are coming home from school distressed. It has never happened before that 160 students went on strike and protested and 240 students signed a petition asking that Irish and English be used in the school.

There is a myth that the two schools which amalgamated taught only through Irish. That is incorrect. When the fine new school was built parents and students expected that it would continue to be bilingual. In September when the children returned to school they discovered that the teaching was all through Irish. If there was an alternative one could consider that but the only alternative is for those who are not blás as Gaeilge to go to Tralee which is 31 miles from Dingle town and 50 miles from Dún Chaoin. The Minister cannot offer that as an alternative to the parents and children of Pobalschoil Corca Dhuibhne catchment area.

If this continues the Minister says that anyone who wants to move into the Gaeltacht area of Corca Dhuibhne must stop at Annascaul. If they or their children are not proficient in Irish they must stop there and go to school in Tralee. I listened to the Minister for Education and Science on "Questions and Answers" last night when she used the words "inclusion" and "discrimination". In this case there is discrimination against the students of the catchment area of Pobalscoil Corca Dhuibhne. I ask the Minister to sort this out for the students and the parents there and if necessary to meet those involved.

See this speech in context