Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Táim an-bhuíoch den Aire as an bhfreagra sin, ach tá rud éigin ann nach bhfuil soiléir domsa. Luaigh sí go bhféadfadh sé a bheith cúig bliana sula gcuirfear tús leis an obair sin. The appointment of a project manager is a great move forward but I am worried about the timescale for organising the design team and moving on from there. I would not like to see this drag on. I was involved in the founding of Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin in the WFTRA Hall, along with Seán Óg, who was involved in Gaelscoil Naomh Foinnbarra. At the time, there was no Irish language school in Finglas, despite its large population. It was an absolute shambles and a shame. Since then, however, Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin has gone from strength to strength and there is a huge demand for places. As I said, there are prefabricated buildings in place and we are seeking an ASD unit, but these are interim measures. We want to see the proper buildings being constructed. I hope the project will be prioritised, as the Minister said, and will move quickly. The Gaelscoil is one of the great successes for the Irish language and for people in Finglas and the areas it serves.

I cannot say enough about the people who have been involved in the school. There has been massive input by the local community, volunteers and others to get this project off the ground to where we are now. People talk about the Gaeltacht and other areas. Ballymun is located beside us in Finglas and there is lots of Irish spoken there. Ballymun has three Gaelscoileanna and we have one now in Finglas. I really hope this project moves quickly. It will be a dream come true for me if it does happen.

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