Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Baineann an cheist atá agam leis an ngá le tacaíocht bhreise a thabhairt do Ghaelscoil Lir i mBaile Átha Cliath 24. Is ceist phráinneach í seo toisc an ualaigh mhillteanaigh atá ar an scoil bheag seo, ar fhoireann na scoile agus ar thuismitheoirí agus pobal na scoile, atá faoi stró as cuimse. Níl aitheantas tugtha do na dúshláin atá rompu agus níl na hacmhainní ná an cúnamh cuí chun tabhairt faoi na fadhbanna ná na baic bhunúsacha atá ar an scoil seo á thabhairt. Tá éacht á dhéanamh ag an bpríomhoide, Clíona Ní Dhúill, agus ag an bhfoireann atá aici. Tá ár mbuíochas tuillte acu. Níl aon duine ag lorg tacaíocht nach bhfuil ann do scoileanna cosúil le Gaelscoil Lir.

D'oscail Gaelscoil Lir a doirse i Meán Fómhair 2021 chun freastal ar phobal Iarthar na Cathrach, Theach Sagard agus an Caisleán Nua. Is Gaelscoil chomhoideachasúil, ilchreidmheach agus ionchuimsitheach faoi phátrúnacht an Fhoras Pátrúnachta í a chuireann fáilte roimh chách. Bhí 15 páiste ann an chéad bhliain agus tá 55 páiste ag freastal ar an scoil anois. Beidh siad ag bogadh isteach i bhfoirgneamh nua buan an t-earrach seo chugainn. Mar aon le chuile bhunscoil eile, tá sonas, sábháilteacht agus folláin na ndaltaí ag croílár gach a ndéantar sa scoil. Chomh maith leis sin, toisc gur Gaelscoil í, tá grá don teanga agus don chultúr Gaelach á fhorbairt i measc na bpáistí. Ní féidir é sin a dhéanamh gan tacaíocht ón Roinn oideachais ná aitheantas uaithi ar na deacrachtaí ar leith atá ag an scoil seo agus í ag triail a gcúraimí a chothú go hoideachasúil.

Tá éagsúlacht mhór i measc phobal na scoile seo idir pháistí néara-éagsúla atá ag freastal ar an dá rang uathachais atá ag an scoil agus pháistí ó thíortha eile atá cláraithe inti. Tá 25% de pháistí na scoile ina gcónaí i gcóiríocht shealadach idir pháistí gan dídean agus pháistí gur iarrthóirí ar chosaint idirnáisiúnta iad. Tá páistí áitiúla agus páistí ón India, ón Úcráin, ón Afraic agus ó thíortha eile timpeall an domhain sa scoil agus tá leibhéal ard míbhuntáiste le sonrú i measc phobal na scoile seo. Tá an Ghaeilge agus an Béarla mar theangacha breise ag céatadán suntasach páistí sa scoil seo ach níl stádas DEIS ag an scoil toisc gur bunaíodh í i ndiaidh spriocdháta na Roinne. Dá réir, tá na páistí seo gan iomlán na tacaíochtaí riachtanacha a thagann le scéim na gcúntóirí teanga, atá ar fáil do scoileanna DEIS lánGhaeilge eile. Chomh maith, toisc gur Gaelscoil atá inti ina bhfuil tumoideachas iomlán i bhfeidhm, níl na huaireanta breise atá ar fáil do English as an additional language, EAL, ar fáil do na páistí nach Béarla a chéad teanga mar is i rang a haon a thosaíonn siad ar an mBéarla go foirmiúil. Níl aon aitheantas ar na deacrachtaí ar leith do scata 15 páiste atá ag teacht ón ionad IPAS in Iarthar na Cathrach i gcomhthéacs na gcíréibeacha le déanaí a bhí dírithe orthu siúd atá lonnaithe ansin, na páistí scoile sin atá ag freastal ar Ghaelscoil Lir san áireamh.

Níl aon bhealach leagtha síos le scoil nua na coinníollacha uilig atá ann chun stádas DEIS a bhaint amach a chomhlíonadh. Tá an doras sin dúnta ar an scoil agus cailleann páistí, múinteoirí agus tuismitheoirí na scoile amach ar na hacmhainní foirne, ar home school community liaison, ar mhaoiniú, ar acmhainní breise, ar thacaíochtaí breise liteartha agus uimhearthachta, ar fhorbairt ghairmiúil leanúnach agus araile. Ní féidir iad sin a fháil toisc nach scoil DEIS í. Impím ar an Aire nua, an Teachta Hildegarde Naughton, stádas eisceachtúil a bhronnadh ar Ghaelscoil Lir mar aitheantas ar na cúinsí eisceachtúla atá ag an scoil seo. Tá an staid reatha leagtha síos i litir a chuir an scoil chuig an Roinn.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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Gabhaim buíochas le Deputy Ó Snodaigh for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position in regard to Gaelscoil Lir in Dublin 24. I speak on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth. My Irish is not as good as Deputy Ó Snodaigh's, so while I could understand most of what he said to me, I will not be able to respond to him in the same way, so it will have to in English.

First, we will look at the overall position. It is important to say that the Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to schools. In regard to capitation grant funding, the Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education system by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs and the ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff.

The Department has secured €39 million in budget 2026 towards increased capitation funding for primary, post-primary and special schools to provide additional financial support towards their running costs. This will see an increase in the standard capitation rates paid to schools of €50 per pupil for primary schools, from €224 to €274, and of €20 per student for post-primary schools, from €386 to €406. This will also allow for an increase of €20 in capitation rates for urban band 1 DEIS primary schools, increasing the mainstream pupil rate in these schools to €294. The increased capitation rates will also see special schools now receive the same rates of capitation for young people aged 12 and over, as their peers in mainstream post-primary schools.

It is important to say that the increases announced in budget 2026 are in addition to the 12% increases as part of budget 2025. The last three budgets have resulted in an increase in the level of capitation grant rates of 49.7% paid to primary schools and 28.5% paid to post-primary schools.

The financial support services unit, FSSU, funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters, including budgeting and cash flow management. We can send the Deputy the contact details for the FSSU. I will not call them out to him.

Furthermore, if the school should require assistance in regard to financial matters, it is advised to contact officials in the Department. Again, I will ask that the details are supplied to the Deputy.

The information provided to me tells me that there is no record of contact from this school in relation to capitation or ancillary funding in terms of additional support required, but officials from the Department will make contact with the school in order to get further details.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Tá fadhb bhunúsach leis an bhfreagra a thug an tAire Stáit. Ní scoil DEIS í. Níl stádas DEIS ag an scoil seo mar bunaíodh í tar éis an dáta. Is í sin an fhadhb bhunúsach. Ní féidir leis an scoil an t-airgead, an maoiniú ná na hacmhainní breise a fháil toisc nach bhfuil aon bhealach aici an stádas seo a bhaint amach in ainneoin go bhfuil sí ag cloí le beagnach gach uile chuid. Tá beagnach 25% de na páistí ag teacht ó IPAS nó ó chlanna nach bhfuil dídean acu. Tá 40% ag brath ar leas sóisialta. Tá fadhbanna bunúsacha ann ó thaobh an chur chuige sin. Chomh maith leis sin, tá naonúr as an 55 páiste atá ag freastal ar an scoil sin i ranganna speisialta. Tá gá díriú isteach ar na fadhbanna breise. Níl an scoil ag lorg go mbeadh aon stádas breise aici anuas ar cad atá ag scoileanna cosúil léi. Tá sí ag lorg go mbeadh bealach éigin aici stádas eisceachtúil a fháil a thugann aitheantas di. Dá mbeadh an scéim DEIS oscailte di, bheadh sé sin á fháil di. Dá mbeadh sé sin aici, bheadh sí in ann acmhainní breise a fháil, acmhainní múinteoireachta agus acmhainní breise chun díriú isteach ar fhadhbanna bunúsacha san áireamh. Mar a dúirt mé, tá an scoil lonnaithe i gceantar atá ag fás ach is ceantar é ina raibh fadhbanna bunúsacha ann le déanaí de bharr na gcíréibeacha dírithe ar an ionad IPAS in Iarthar na Cathrach. Tá roinnt de na páistí ag teacht ón ionad sin chun dul ar scoil.

Tá an scoil seo ag déanamh éacht ag cuidiú leo siúd agus leis na páistí eile sa cheantar. Tugann sí aitheantas don Roinn ó thaobh na scoile nua a bheidh aici an bhliain seo chugainn agus an méid atá faighte aici go dtí seo ach níl an Roinn ag déileáil léi ar chomhchéim le scoileanna eile toisc gur bunaíodh í tar éis an dáta ar dhún an córas DEIS.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I hear what the Deputy is saying. There are specific issues in the school. He can correct me if I am wrong, but I understand many students come from a local IPAS centre. It has challenges that perhaps not every school faces, although a lot of schools around the country, including many in my constituency, face similar challenges. That is one of the reasons the capitation grant increased so significantly this year. It needed to increase. Nonetheless, that has happened.

There has been an increase of approximately 22% in capitation rates for primary schools in the 2026-27 school year. As I said, there has been an increase of nearly 50% in the level of capitation grants paid to primary schools. Regarding the specific school the Deputy mentioned, as I have said, the Department will make contact with it to seek further details in order to determine what the issues are and what support can be given. There is no record of contact from the school regarding capitation or ancillary funding.

The financial services unit, funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters. It routinely provides support and advice to large numbers of schools each year. As I said, I will pass on the contact details. I will not call them out. The Deputy may well be aware of them. It is important that the school knows the Department stands ready to support in whatever way it can.