Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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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.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for her question. While I might be able to bluff my way through with some Irish, it is of great embarrassment to me that I am unable to respond to the Senator in Irish. Tá brón orm.

I have an official statement from the Department. I will refer to the Senator's questions at the end of my contribution. The Department is fully supportive and remains committed to the establishment of the Gaelcholáiste in the south of Dublin city. The Department is currently working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust as patron of Synge Street CBS and the school management to ensure there is continued and clear engagement on a successful transition of Synge Street CBS from an all-boys English-medium school to a coeducational Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis from September 2026. There has been a growing need for a Gaelcholáiste in the south of Dublin city to serve the five Gaelscoileanna in the area, one of which is Bunscoil Synge Street, which is located beside Synge Street CBS and transitioned from an English-medium school to a Gaelscoil in recent years. The first phase of this transition will involve the first year intake only. Provision is also being made for students currently learning through English to enable them to complete their academic journey through the school.

In respect of staff engagements, staff from the Department of Education visited the school recently and met teaching staff and others to discuss their career opportunities and the best options as the school transitions to a Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis. Staff from Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta and Gaelscolaíochta, COGG, and Oide, the Department of Education-funded teacher professional learning service, also met the staff and outlined the professional learning opportunities available to staff to support them in teaching through the medium of Irish, including with language competency, and both agencies will be available to provide support to staff who are interested in remaining in the school and teaching through Irish. These supports for staff will continue as the project moves forward. With respect to board representation, the existing board of management for Synge Street CBS will remain in place for the duration of its term in accordance with the articles of management of the school. In relation to the intake policy for the school, this is a matter for the patrons of the school, which is the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, to agree in conjunction with other relevant parties. The Department is aware of the need to provide an immersion educational experience for the students in the new Gaelcholáiste. It is recognised that this may be challenging as the school transitions from an English-medium school to an Irish-medium setting. However, the Department is committed to working with the school, the relevant staff, the bodies, the patrons and all concerned.

As regards the issues raised by the Senator, she asked me five specific questions. I will get clear answers to these questions from the Department and respond directly to her, if that is okay.

Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome our guests in the Visitors Gallery. They are the pupils from rang a ceathair in Scoil Mobhí in Glasnevin who are on a tour of Leinster House this morning with their muínteoir, Cillín MacDonnacha. The son of former Senator Marie Sherlock is among the pupils in the class. I wish them an enjoyable visit to the Seanad.

Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am grateful that he will go back with the five questions because they are key to moving this issue forward. There is not a whole lot of detail in the statement, as we can see. The Minister of State said the first phase of the transition will involve first year intake only, so I wonder when the details of the second phase will be announced. Those children will keep going in the school and not just stop going to school after first year. They need a plan for six years. The Minister of State also said that professional learning opportunities have been outlined for the staff there. If staff are not fluent in Irish in a teaching capacity, it is going to be very difficult to transition over and suddenly start teaching through Irish, so I would like more detail on what the professional learning opportunities are going to be. I would be very surprised if teachers not fluent in Irish would be in a position to become fluent. Teachers do need to be fluent to teach through Irish.

The only other thing I would like to add and put on the record is a request for a meeting with the Gaelcholáiste group. It has made a couple of requests to the Department but has not received an answer. It would be beneficial to the Department to get feedback from the parents and the people involved in the group. At the end of the day, they are experts in the Irish language and in teaching through Irish, so it would be useful for planning the school and establishing some sort of a board or planning policy for the new school.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I will take the questions the Senator has posed back to the Department. It is greatly important. This is a major change in direction for Synge Street CBS. It is all-encompassing because there are the teachers who have been there for many years and done great work. This is a major new departure for them. What we will need will be clear guidance. Obviously, with this starting in September 2026, the Senator is quite right that it will be just the first year of school for those students. We must ensure they understand that this is their school for the next six years, right through until they do their leaving certificate.

I will take back the points raised by the Senator. As regards a meeting, I will endeavour to see if we can get that organised. Communication is very important in this major development for Synge Street CBS. The school is in our national history. I live many miles from the school but we still know about it because it has been spoken about in many roles. It is important that we get this right. Communication with the Department and all the relevant bodies is very important to bring everybody on board. After this Commencement matter debate, I will endeavour to get the information to the Senator and to see if we can get direct engagement from the Department too.