Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Moynihan, as a bheith anseo inniu. Bhí mé ag súil leis an Aire sinsearach ach tuigim go bhfuil sí gafa le cúrsaí eile ar maidin agus táim fíorbhuíoch de as a bheith anseo agus a chuid ama a thabhairt dúinn sa Seanad. Tá plean, mar is eol ag an Aire Stáit, ag an Roinn i leith Ghaelcholáiste don scoilcheantar Bhaile Átha Cliath 2, 4, 6 agus 8. Chuirfinn fáilte roimh Ghaelcholáiste sa cheantar. Tá mac agam atá ag tógáil dhá bhus ag taisteal trasna na cathrach gach lá. Cinnte, b'fhearr liom dá mbeadh Gaelscolaíocht ar fáil dó go háitiúil. Mura miste ag an Aire Stáit, níl agam inniu ach cúpla ceist mar gheall ar an bplean atá faoi lánseol ag an Roinn. I am going to switch to English now. I can see the relief on the Minister of State's face and that is okay.

As he knows, a need has been identified and accepted by the Department of Education for a Gaelcholáiste in the school district of Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8. A plan was announced by the former Minister, Deputy Foley, in September of last year. I raised this issue a few weeks ago and I thank the Minister of State for being here to address some outstanding questions about the plan the Department has to initially merge Synge Street CBS with a new Gaelcholáiste. As I understand it, the school patron, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, and the board of the existing school have been briefed and it is expected the 2026 intake will be twofold, namely, a cohort of boys for the CBS and a cohort of boys and girls for the new Gaelcholáiste.

The questions I have are largely based on the importance of total immersion when it comes to learning a language and to Gaelscolaíocht.Learning and teaching Irish are most successful by total immersion. Anecdotally, we hear of people who leave secondary school with more French or Spanish than Irish. Those who listen to Raidió na Gaeltachta or who spend time in a Gaeltacht every summer or, better yet, who attend their local Gaelscoil or Gaelcholáiste will, by and large, have a better grasp of the language and a greater love and appreciation for it. If we still have a cohort of people wishing to raise their families through Irish, be that by speaking Irish at home or sending their children to the local Gaelscoil or Gaelcholáiste, that minority should be protected and supported in the same way the language should be.

I have questions. A line in the statement issued by the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, ERST, on 19 March stated "these students [in the Gaelcholáiste] ... will be accommodated in another building on the school's campus for their first year". What does this mean? Are those students in their second year to be accommodated in the same building as the students learning through the medium of English? Will they be moved in second year? Will they stay in another independent building in second year and onwards until the main building is vacant?

A deputy principal is to be appointed to develop the Gaelcholáiste. I assume that will not happen until June. In the meantime, who is overseeing policy for the students who will have to be recruited and enrolled before October of this year? Will an Irish-speaking board be established to develop the Gaelcholáiste? The current board of Synge Street CBS was appointed to manage a school that operates through English. Will a new board or a development committee, at the very least, be established for the new school with people who have expertise in Irish-medium education and are fluent in Irish? I understand that an extension is to be built or is being worked on. Is that expected to allow for the total immersion of the students in the Gaelcholáiste? Will the current teachers be teaching across both codes? Are they fluent in Irish?

The catchment area is a lot bigger than the postcodes of Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8. Many of the parents of children in Scoil Mológa in Dublin 6W have been involved in the campaign since the beginning. The families and children from Dublin 6W and 12 will form part of the new school community, which means there is a greater need for the school in the area. It is important to highlight that nobody in the Gaelcholáiste campaign would have signed up for a hybrid model of education on a campus where Irish is not the only spoken language. By way of reminder, the D2468 campaign was set up after a failed bid to acquire the old greyhound stadium in Harold's Cross. The families who were a part of the campaign for a Gaelcholáiste when it began may not sign up for the 2026 enrolment.

Cuirim na ceisteanna seo inniu mar tá baol ann nach mbeidh na tuismitheoirí atá bainteach leis an bhfeachtas sásta leis an bplean dhátheangach mar atá sé, agus táim fíorbhuíoch go bhfuil an tAire Stáit anseo agus go bhfuil sé sásta na ceisteanna seo a fhreagairt. Gabhaim buíochas leis.