Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the outcome of a recent survey sent by her Department to students and parents of students in a school (details supplied); the length of time she expects to consider all the matters relating to this issue before coming to a decision; her views on the fact there was no consultation with the interested parties before this survey was submitted to parents and pupils alike in the school concerned; her further views on whether there is a high degree of confusion regarding the survey so submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2789/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In October 2007, I announced my intention to survey all parents and students in the school to establish the level and range of provision being sought through Irish or English that will cater for the spectrum of student needs. I asked the Commission on School Accommodation to conduct the survey.

The Commission on School Accommodation formally requested the board of management of the school to provide the names and addresses of parents and students in the school to whom the survey would be distributed. This followed a meeting between the Commission and the school authorities, at their request.

However, the board of management then indicated its belief that the provisions of the Data Protection Acts prevented it from supplying the Commission with the names and addresses as requested.

I decided, therefore, to place public notice advertisements in local and national newspapers inviting parents of students in the school to write to the Commission on School Accommodation to obtain the survey form.

I wish to reiterate that I am determined to ensure that the school continues to guarantee an education through the medium of Irish to those students from the Gaeltacht and from Irish speaking homes who wish to be educated through the medium of Irish. Equally, I wish to ensure that to the greatest extent possible the new Community School should make a contribution to maintenance of Irish as the primary community language. However, provision also has to be made for those who have no Irish at all or those who, because their Irish is too weak, are unable to learn in classes conducted exclusively through the medium of Irish.

The survey is intended to give parents of students attending the school, and the students themselves, an opportunity to directly express their views and preferences in relation to the language used in tuition and in other school activities during the course of their post-primary education. The survey is part of an open process of engagement with all the parents and the students who are attending the school. Through the survey my Department is seeking to ascertain the needs of all learners, from those that are fluent to those that may not have sufficient fluency to be able to fully engage in the curriculum through Irish. This has been my clearly stated intention since the survey was announced and I do not share the Deputy's suggestion that there is any level of confusion involved.

There has been extensive consultation and communication on this issue between my Department, the board of management of the school and the Joint Trustees of the school since August of last year.

Responses to the survey are currently being examined by my Department and the results will be made known in due course.