Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his attendance. I seek clarity from the Department of Education on the provision of a permanent school building for Gaelscoil Áine, Glasnevin. Gaelscoil Áine is a wonderful multidenominational Irish-language-based primary school. It was established more than three years ago and is temporarily located on the first floor of Whitehall College of Further Education on St. Mobhi Road, adjacent to Na Fianna GAA Club and other community facilities.It is a wonderful primary school. It has three classes at the moment and, as I said, it is temporarily located on the first floor in Whitehall Community College. The classrooms are wonderful. It is an old building but it has been fitted out to a very high standard. As we were talking about ventilation, there is fabulous ventilation there, as well as good, proper, purpose-built toilets and a recreation room. Is pobal iontach é. The school, however, is in a temporary facility and it is oversubscribed for this coming September. It does not have a classroom for the junior infants class. It had over 120 applications for junior infants this year and it does not even have a classroom to accommodate 20 or 30.

The Minister of State can see the problem, which is fairly obvious. In the building itself, on the second floor, there is spare or vacant capacity. It seems to my untrained eye an obvious and immediate solution for the Department of Education to support what is a very strong board of management and a wonderful principal and teachers by expanding into that second floor. I hope the Minister of State has been sent with some good news about the school's immediate needs so he can advise me and the House on what the immediate solution is. The Minister of State might also be able to advise, as my Commencement matter suggests, on the location of a permanent building for that school.

The school was set up just over three years ago and, in those three years, despite not having a permanent school and despite uncertainty over a permanent school location, the school is going from strength to strength and it is building a very strong reputation within the immediate community and the wider community. It is very important that the Department supports this school. It is a school that is already thriving but with the continued support of the Department, it can really flourish. I hope the Minister of State has been sent today with an answer on the immediate needs for the temporary accommodation and on a permanent location for the school.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the current position relating to Gaelscoil Áine's school accommodation on behalf of the Minister. Gaelscoil Áine opened in 2019 and was established in vacant accommodation in the OPW building known as Coláiste Chaoimhin, St. Mobhi Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. The Department facilitated refurbishment works in the building in 2019 to provide the classrooms, along with some ancillary accommodation for the school, with which the Senator is very familiar.

The enrolment in the school as of September 2021 is 70 pupils. As part of the 20-year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, the Department has committed to creating opportunities for expanding Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht in the context of the April 2018 announcement on the establishment of 42 new schools from 2019, which affords particular consideration to the establishment of Gaelscoileanna, Gaelcholáistí, and Aonad Lán-Ghaeilge as part of the patronage process. Since the April 2018 announcement, the number of new schools to be established over the period from 2019 to meet a demographic demand has increased to 47 schools. This includes eight Gaelscoileanna and a Gaelcholáiste arising from the transition of an Aonad into a standalone Gaelcholáiste.

With regard to Scoil Áine's future accommodation, a permanent site for a new school has been identified and the Department is in advanced discussions with another public body to acquire a site. However, due to the confidential nature of these discussions, it is not possible to provide further information at this time. I will ask the Minister and the Department to keep the parents informed of any key developments in advancing the permanent site for the school. In tandem with the site acquisition, my Department has been working to put interim accommodation arrangements in place for the school for September 2022 and will be engaging with the patron of the school shortly in this regard.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate that the Minister of State has been sent here to respond on this issue. I acknowledge, and the school acknowledges and is very appreciative of, the support the Department has given in the setting up of the school and the fitting out of Coláiste Chaoimhin to meet its needs in the immediate term.

I find it very disappointing that the Department says two things in this reply. First, it says that it is on the job, it has identified a site and it is working to secure that site. I appreciate the confidentiality of contract negotiations, as we all do - we are adults - and the school community appreciates that as well. I just do not understand how and why the Department would move ahead to acquire a site and not even consult in a confidential way directly with the school. They are the people who will have to operate it. They are the people who know the immediate needs in the area. I urge the Minister of State to go back and encourage the Department to review its practices in terms of how it is conducting its consultation.

In terms of the short-term immediate needs, I do not understand why the Department cannot deal directly with the principal. We are in January. Anyone who has a child going to school is looking for a place. It is very hard for parents to commit to sending their children to a school that cannot show them a classroom that the child will go into. That is just an unreasonable request and an unreasonable burden to be putting on a principal and a voluntary board of management. The Department of Education needs to step up to the plate. I would like to see a date for a meeting with the board of management and the school within the next couple of weeks.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I would again like to thank the Senator for giving me an opportunity to outline to the House the position in regard to Gaelscoil Áine. As I said, the Department has identified a site and I know the Senator agrees with the point on confidentiality. Nonetheless, I would have thought the school principal and the school would be consulted. In regard to a meeting of the Department with the board and the principal, I will bring the Senator’s views back to the Minister to try to get this progressed as quickly as possible.