Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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92. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will support plans for an independent Gaelcoláiste an Chláir in Ennis, County Clare. [13886/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has received correspondence from the patron of Ennis Community College, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, requesting that the Irish-medium unit in the school, known as Gaelcholáiste an Chláir, would be given approval to transition to a standalone gaelcholáiste.

As part of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, my Department has committed to creating opportunities for expanding Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht. This is in the context of the announcements on the establishment of 47 new schools from 2019, which affords particular consideration to the establishment of Gaelscoileanna, Gaelcholáistí, and Aonaid Lán-Ghaeilge as part of the patronage process for new schools.

Most new post-primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600 – 1,000 students. A lower threshold of 400 students may apply to Gaelcholáistí, having regard to the alternative of establishing an Irish-medium unit (Aonad) in an English-medium school. This is a potential outcome from the patronage process for new schools established to cater for a demographic need. It is also possible for any post-primary school patron to contact my Department to explore the establishment of an Aonad in an existing school.

As the Deputy may be aware work on the development of a new policy for Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht is now well underway in the Department. The policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht is part of the overall framework of the 20-year Strategy for the Irish language 2010-2030 and is building on the achievements of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022. Included among the key objectives of the policy are developing a clear policy on the establishment and sustainability of Aonaid/Sruthanna (units/streams) in existing English-medium post-primary schools to strengthen Irish-medium education provision and exploring how opportunities for the establishment of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí can be increased as part of the patronage process.

A public consultation process was launched in October 2022 to gather the views of stakeholders, including young people, parents, education professionals, education stakeholders and Irish-language organisations. The first phase of this consultation, which included an online questionnaire and a call for written submissions, concluded on 30 January 2023. Responses to the questionnaire and the call for submissions are currently being analysed.

Further phases of the consultation will commence shortly, and will involve further engagement with stakeholders in the form of focus groups, bilateral meetings and a Policy Forum.

Focus groups are being conducted with children and young people to ensure their voices are included in the policy development process. Focus groups will take place shortly with parents, guardians, educators and other stakeholders to explore important themes that are arising during the consultation process.

As part of the actions being taken to ensure that the new policy will be informed by current research is a review of national and international literature and research on Irish-medium Aonaid and Sruthanna in English-medium schools, which is being carried out on behalf of the Department.

The outcome of the above work will be useful in considering applications such as that referred to by the Deputy.