Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 249: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when a school (details supplied) in County Kildare will be granted permanent recognition by his Department; the requirements this school needs to fulfil in order to gain permanent recognition; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the failure to grant recognition has resulted in the denial of retention planning permission by Kildare County Council; his policies regarding the creation of a new gaelscoil in the Curragh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23506/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers is recognised by my Department. In common with all schools, when initially established, the school was granted temporary recognition to allow it to demonstrate its viability and this temporary recognition remains in place. During its period of temporary recognition, accommodation remains the responsibility of the Patron. My Department has recently written to the school confirming its status to assist it with its appeal to An Bord Pleanála for retention on its current premises.

With regard to the criteria for permanent recognition, my Department is guided by a Commission on School Accommodation (CSA) Report produced in 2004 on the "Criteria and Procedures for establishing and maintaining provision through the medium of Irish in second level schools". The report recommends that for an Irish Medium school to be recognised, it must have: • An initial first year projected enrolment of 30 pupils; • A projected average first year enrolment of 40 pupils over six years; • A projected total enrolment of 250-300, six years after opening; • Suitable accommodation; and • Compliance with Section 10 of the Education Act, 1998.

The school to which the Deputy refers has a current enrolment of 105 pupils which falls short of that needed for permanent recognition. In the circumstances, earlier this year, my Department extended the school's temporary recognition for a further three years to allow it the opportunity to develop further.