Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is exactly the issue that has led me to ask this question, namely the criteria and how the Department assesses whether there is a demand. In my constituency, as I said there are two Gaelcholáistí colocated, Coláiste Íosagáin and Coláiste Eoin, but there is an enormous demand because although there are only two Gaelscoileanna in the adjacent areas - it must be remembered that in Dublin constituencies there are more condensed geographic areas - there is a demand for secondary education trí mheán na Gaeilge.

In Cherrywood in south Dublin, a site is earmarked for a school. As far as I know, planning and everything else has been done. The Department has yet to decide on the patronage for the school. The problem is that if the Department uses a narrow geographic criteria which it currently uses, it will only ask the community immediately adjacent to Cherrywood. Of course, Cherrywood is on the Luas and is at the end of many bus lines. Therefore, there is easy access to the area for a much wider geographic community. I need the Department to look at wider criteria and the widespread community of people whose children are in Gaelscoileanna nó a labhraíonn Gaeilge sa bhaile so that they can be included in those criteria.

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