Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree that it is a daunting step. I would be disappointed if parents were to decide to found such a unit but sufficient support to enable that to happen did not emanate from within my Department. I would certainly work towards addressing that challenge. At this point, that national need does not seem to be emerging from within the general school system. If that need were to emerge, it would be incumbent on the Department to respond to it. I emphasise that if there is sufficient demand from within a school community for a school to make the transition to at least some element of Irish-medium delivery, there is a process to facilitate that. The right of the parent community to take this approach can be exercised if those involved wish to do so.

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