Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the impact of the recent patronage decision made for a new secondary school for the Castleknock and Carpenterstown area for the provision of a gaelcholaiste or Aonad in the Dublin 15 area; if there has been any communication between his Department and potential patrons for such a school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36362/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Following completion of the patronage process for the nine new post-primary schools to be established in 2017 and 2018, I announced the Edmund Rice Schools Trust as the successful patron for the school which will open in 2017 to serve the Carpenterstown and Castleknock school planning areas. 

Taking into account the level of demand for, and the provision of, Irish-medium education in the area in conjunction with the number of parental preferences for Irish-medium provision submitted as part of the patronage process for this new school, the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG), the independent advisory group set up to oversee the patronage process and to make recommendations in this regard to me, has recommended that the new school would be an English-medium school, with an Aonad Lán-Gaeilge to be provided either in this new school or in an existing post-primary school in the area.  I accepted the NSEG's recommendations in this regard and consideration is being given to establishing an Aonad Lán-Gaeilge in the most appropriate location within the Carpenterstown and Castleknock area.   

The success of the Aonad Lán-Gaeilge will input into a decision to be taken at the appropriate time in the future as to whether the Aonad should develop into a stand-alone Gaelcholáiste.

Following the announcement of my decisions in relation to the patronage of the nine new post-primary schools, my Department has been in contact with the relevant patrons in relation to the establishment of these schools and will continue to liaise with patrons in this regard.