Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

The survey will be based on a parent or guardian's preference. If the child is already in a school, it will relate to the current school. If the child is not in a school, it will relate to the parent or guardian's preferred choice. That is the approach that was designed to make sure the outcome can be implementable, which will be important when we get the information. We are seeing where changes and transitions are working well. The Edmund Rice Schools Trust, ERST, and the transition of its Synge Street CBS to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste from September 2026 is an example. While there might have been some teething problems, we are working very closely with the school, the teachers and the patron in particular to make sure this transition can happen.

In terms of the task force, we have not set a target because we need to understand what the demand is and, most important, how we can introduce a greater number of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí through engaging with people. It is really important that the strategies have been worked on with the engagement of Foras na Gaeilge, an Foras Pátrúnachta, Gaeloideachas agus Conradh na Gaeilge. I met with these organisations as a group recently to make sure that all of the issues the Deputy has raised and the concerns the organisations have about being able to roll out more school provision, as well as about how Irish is being taught in our schools and bringing back the grá for it and people's ability to converse in it, are front and centre of the strategies that will be published later on this week.

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