Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Táim ag freagairt an cheist seo ar son an Aire, an Teachta McEntee. I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for raising this matter which provides me with the opportunity to clarify to the House, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the position regarding the Gaelcholáiste for Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8.

The Department is fully supportive of and remains committed to the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste in the Dublin south city area. The Department of Education is currently working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust to ensure continued and clear engagement on the successful transition of Synge Street CBS from a single-sex, English-medium school to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis from September 2026.

There has been a growing need for a Gaelcholáiste in Dublin south city to service the Gaelscoileanna in the area, including Bunscoil Synge, which is located beside Synge Street CBS and transitioned from an English-medium national school to a Gaelscoil in recent years. Synge Street CBS is well positioned to meet the growing demand for a co-educational Gaelcholáiste in the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 area. It is a welcome addition to the variety and diversity of school choice at post-primary level in the Dublin south city area.

Work is ongoing in the Department on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. The development of this policy is informed by the comprehensive consultation process conducted by the Department, as well as international research. This policy will build upon what is currently being achieved under the policy on Gaeltacht education to support the provision of education through the medium of Irish in Gaeltacht areas. It will focus on providing high-quality, Irish-medium education and increasing the proportion of learners receiving their education through Irish.

The Minister also intends to launch a survey of primary school communities in the coming months. This survey will ensure we have a greater picture as to what our plans need to be into the future. It is planned that the survey will ask parents for their preference for the language of educational provision in their children’s school - English or Irish. The results of the survey will help us plan how we provide education at primary level into the future. This initiative along with other work will help the Department identify opportunities for increasing Irish-medium provision at primary and post-primary levels.

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