Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask that we would have an urgent debate on the Government's approach and attitude to Gaelscoileanna throughout the country, in particular in terms of nurturing education through the medium of the Irish language in a way that supports all Gaelscoileanna. Senator Comiskey raised an Adjournment matter yesterday concerning a Gaelscoil in his and my area, Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, which is seeking that a second class would start for the next school year. The Government will not allow that, however, although there is no good reason for this in terms of demographics, geography, funding or anything else, nor, indeed, is there an argument that it adversely affects the future of any of the other schools in the area. Despite Senator Comiskey's best efforts last night, a very unsatisfactory answer was given by the Minister of State on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Quinn, and the Government.
The reality is very far from the commitments of the programme for Government or the individual stated positions or manifestos of Fine Gael or Labour in respect of their notional support for nurturing the Irish language and education through the medium of the Irish language. I ask that we would have an urgent debate on this because there are instances, such as the one Senator Comiskey and I would promote in Sligo and others throughout the country, that require support before it is too late in the context of enrolments for next September. I ask that this could happen well in advance of the summer recess so we can have an accurate and informative debate and get to the nitty-gritty of what the Government's position is, and whether we are supporting this or whether it is conditional on other issues.
I again propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister, Deputy James Reilly, come to the House to discuss the high-level review of maternity services in the West-North West Hospital Group, an issue I raised yesterday. The proposals in the review put in danger the maternity services of the West-North West Hospital Group, which, as we know, stretches from Galway to Donegal and from Mullingar to the Atlantic ocean. I see the trusted publication that is The Irish Timestoday has a headline on page 3 outlining this detail and the fact it could be politically explosive, although, of course, we in these Houses know that, and this is just one report. I have a copy of the report with me and I am happy to make it available to every Member of the House so we can discuss its detail. The Government denial that the content of the report is under consideration is extremely worrying and it is cynical in the extreme that these plans are being prepared in secret and in advance of polling day, after which, presumably, it will come to public light.
I have a further revelation for the Leader, which might be a little worrying. While I have the report which relates to the West-North West Hospital Group, I point out to the Leader that others exist that cast doubt over the future of the following centres: Tralee, south Tipperary, Clonmel, Kilkenny, the Leader's own area of Waterford, Cavan-Monaghan, Wexford, Mullingar, Portlaoise and Drogheda, which are all being considered for downgrading or midwife-only-led services. What I would say in regard not only to my own region, which is covered by this report, but in regard to the Leader's region and those of many Members of this House, is that there are very genuine concerns among mothers who hope to grow their family, or those who hope to be mothers in the future, as to whether they are going to have obstetrician-led services in their area, and as to whether this Government is planning, as I have revealed for my area, to dismantle obstetrician-led maternity services in the West-North West Hospital Group.