Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 472: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason she has directed that parents representatives on boards of management of Gaelscoileanna must be fluent in the Irish language; her views on whether this directive is discriminatory to parents not born in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25112/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Firstly, I would like to assure the Deputy that I have not directed that parent representatives on boards of management of Gaelscoileanna must be fluent in the Irish language.

Under Section 14 of the Education Act 1998 it is the duty of a Patron, for the purposes of ensuring that a recognised school is managed in a spirit of partnership, to appoint, where practicable, a Board of Management.

The Patron is responsible for initiating the steps necessary for the establishment of the Board in accordance with the procedures set out in the Handbook "Boards of Management of National Schools — Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure". Boards of Management of primary schools are obliged to comply with the requirements set out in this handbook. The handbook is revised periodically and agreed through discussions between my Department and the education partners.

The Board of Management of a primary school is comprised of nominees of the patron and representatives of teachers, parents and the community. Apart from the requirement that they are parents of children currently enrolled in the school, there is no specific criterion set out in the handbook with regard to parents' representatives on the Board. However, in the case of Gaelscoileanna, the criterion outlined in the handbook concerning the community representatives states that "persons nominated from the community served by the school shall have an understanding of and a commitment to the ethos of the school. It is expected also that those nominated shall have a good knowledge of the Irish language".