Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills an bhfuil sé i gceist Gaelscoil bhreise a chur ar fáil i gceantar Dhroim Conrach/Marino; cad iad na critéir a úsáidtear le haghaidh aitheantas a thabhairt do Ghaelscoil nua agus cén beartas atá ann lena chinntiú go mbeidh dóthain Gaelscoileanna ann chun freastal ar an éileamh ar Ghaelscoileanna ar fud na tíre; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [14816/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Ó 2011 ní gnách scoileanna nua a thógáil ach amháin i gceantair ina bhfuil méadú ar an daonra. Tá próiseas oscailte cinnte pátrúnachta i bhfeidhm ag an Roinn maidir le cé a bheidh mar phatrún ar na scoileanna. Is faoi gach patrún agus patrún ionchasach atá sé iarratas a dhéanamh faoin bpróiseas seo agus is é éileamh ó thuismitheoirí an rud is tábhachtaí.

Tá Córas Faisnéise Geografaí in úsáid ag an Roinn chun na ceantair ar fud na tíre is mó atá faoi bhrú déimeagrafach a aithint. Sa chóras seo úsáidtear sonraí ón bPríomh-Oifig Staidrimh, ó Shuirbhéireacht Ordanáis na hÉireann, ón Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí agus ón bhunachair shonraí na Roinne seo. Leis an bhfaisnéis seo, déanann an Roinn seo againne cleachtaí déimeagrafacha ar fud na tíre lena fháil amach cá háit a bhfuil gá le cóiríocht bhreise scoile ar leibhéal bunscoile agus iarbhunscoile araon.

Maidir le mo chinneadh ar phátrúnacht cheantar Dhroim Conrach/Marino, rinne an Roinn seo measúnú ar na hiarratais a fuarthas agus d'ullmhaigh tuarascáil le cur faoi bhráid an Ghrúpa um Bunú Scoileanna Nua, a chuir a dtuarascáil siúd agus a gcuid moltaí ar aghaidh chugamsa le go mbreithneoinn iad agus cinneadh deireanach a dhéanamh. Ghlac mé lena moladh agus beidh an phátrúnacht mar a fógraíodh í. Cé go léirítear sa tuarascáil mheasúnaithe pátrúnachta atá foilsithe ar shuíomh idirlín mo Roinne go raibh tacaíocht shubstaintiúil ann do scoil lán-Ghaeilge, léirítear go raibh beagnach a dhá oiread sin de chéadroghanna bailí ann do scoil faoi phátrúnacht Ag Foghlaim le Chéile sa cheantar seo. Mar sin féin, rinne an Grúpa tagairt don éileamh láidir ar oideachas Gaeilge i gceantar Dhroim Conrach/Marino agus mhol siad an t-ábhar a choimeád faoi athbhreithniú i gcleachtaí déimeagrafacha a dhéanfar amach anseo.

Mar is eol don Teachta, b'fhéidir, is é an príomhchúram atá ar an Roinn seo ná a chinntiú go bhfuil slí sna scoileanna in aon cheantar ar leith do na daltaí uile a iarrann áit iontu. De bharr brúnna déimeagrafacha, b'fhéidir nach bhfaigheadh gach dalta áit sa scoil is céadrogha leis nó léi.

Tá sonraí faoi na critéir do scoileanna nua a bhunú le fáil ar shuíomh idirlín mo Roinne ag:

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Leis na próisis cinnte pátrúnachta arna reáchtáil ag mo Roinnse agus leis an mbéim ar leith a gcuirtear dá réir ar chéadrogha na dtuismitheoirí maidir leis an gcinéal scoile atá le bunú, cinntítear go dtugtar freagairt dhíreach ar an éileamh ó thuismitheoirí ar Ghaelscoileanna nó ar chineálacha eile scoileanna nuair a bhíonn scoileanna nua á mbunú.

Since 2011 new schools are generally only being established in areas of demographic growth. The Department runs an open patronage determination process to decide who will operate the schools. It is open to all patrons and prospective patrons to apply under this process and parental demand is key to this process.

The Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The system uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and information from my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.

With regard to the decision on the patronage for the Drumcondra/Marino area my Department assessed the applications received and prepared a report for the consideration of the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG) who then submitted their report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision. The patronage assessment report which is published on my Department website, while indicating substantial support for an Irish medium school, reflects nearly twice as many valid preferences for an Educate Together school in this area. I accepted their recommendation and patronage will remain as announced. The NSEG did note the strong level of demand for Irish medium education in the Drumcondra/Marino area and recommended that this should be kept under review in the context of future demographic exercises.

As the Deputy may be aware, my Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places due to demographic pressures. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

Details of the criteria for the establishment of new schools is available on my Department's website at:

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The patronage determination processes run by my Department which place a particular emphasis on parental demand/preference for the type of school to be established, ensure that there is a direct response to demand from parents for gaelscoileanna or other school types, where new schools are being established.