Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

A Cheann Comhairle agus a Theachta Ó Snodaigh, tá brón orm mar níl go leor Gaeilge agam chun óráid iomlán a dhéanamh.

I would like to talk about education planning in the provision of schooling through Irish. In my town, Swords, we are lucky enough to have a fantastic Gaelscoil, Gaelscoil Bhrian Bóroimhe. In Donabate there is Gaelscoil na Mara, and in Kinsealy there is Scoil an Duinnínigh. The problem is that for students who have been lucky enough to get into these schools, the choice of at second level becomes a lot more difficult. This is because there is no Gaelcholáiste in Swords, the largest town in Fingal and the third largest town in Ireland. The students have to travel either to Coláiste Glór na Mara, in Balbriggan, or to Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, in Donaghmede. This is ridiculous given the size of the town of Swords.

The thing about town planning is that we know when housing is going to be built, when the population is going to increase and that, with the provision of Gaelscoileanna, there will be demand for Gaelcholáistí. Unfortunately, there are now pupils who feel that when entering first year after sixth class, they have to change patron body to stay local. They are unable to avail of what is a broken school transport system in order to get their secondary schooling through Irish. The peer pressure to stay local becomes even greater. Therefore, we need to be planning our schooling better.

On the school transport system, it is absolutely ridiculous that so many children need to make the choice to go to Gaelcholáiste Reachrann or to Coláiste Glór na Mara, Balbriggan. We fought hard, along with other Teachtaí in the last Dáil, to have school transport from Swords to Coláiste Glór na Mara in Balbriggan. There is going to be increased demand on that service in the upcoming school year. I appeal to the Minister now, in March, to ensure there is sufficient capacity in this system because we know we will not have a new Gaelcholáiste in southern Fingal, in Swords, in time for September. In fact, we are many years away from that.

On Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, the points have been well made by several Deputies, including in this debate. I visited the school myself. There are many schools across many patron bodies that need refurbishment and new buildings but, certainly from my experience, it is very hard to think of one that needs a new building more than Gaelcholáiste Reachrann. The facilities that the students and staff have had to endure in that school over so many years have been beyond what are tolerable for a school in a First World economy like ours. This must not continue. The school needs a new building urgently.

Where there are Gaelscoileanna and a sufficient population density, the Minister should ensure there are Gaelcholáistí for students to transition to so they can continue to learn through their national language and will not lose or dilute, in their education between the ages of 12 and 18, what they have learned between the ages of five and 12.

Please reform the school transport system to ensure those students and families who have had the privilege of primary education through Irish can continue that in secondary school. We need changes to the rules around school transport and patron body choice with Gaelcholáistí. The need is greater than that of other patron bodies and that must be factored into school transport for the upcoming year.

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