Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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130. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will consider the building of an Irish-medium secondary school in Dublin 8, given that there are several bunscoileanna in the area but no gaelcholáistí; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15763/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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 in the context of announcements on the establishment of 47 new schools from 2019. My Department has ensured that the process for deciding on the patronage of new schools affords particular consideration to the establishment of Gaelscoileanna, Gaelcholáistí, and Aonaid Lán-Ghaeilge.

In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through:

- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,

- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,

- Provision of a new school or schools.

A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. The patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons. Parental preferences, as well as other considerations such as the extent of diversity of provision in an area (including Irish-medium provision), are key to the decision-making process. Such analysis impacts on whether, at post-primary level, a school would take the form of an Irish-medium Gaelcholáiste, or whether, if English-medium, the school would include an Irish-medium unit.

While it is expected that the existing Gaelcholáistí in the general South Dublin area between them have sufficient school places to accommodate demand in the short term, given the number of new gaelscoileanna which have opened in recent years, or are planned to open in this area, my Department is keeping the position under active review as these schools grow and the number of sixth class pupils in gaelscoileanna increases. The opportunities for expansion of provision at existing gaelcholáistí such as Coláiste Eoin and Coláiste Íosagáin is also relevant and my Department has written to the school patrons of Coláiste Eoin and Coláiste Íosagáin in this context.

My Department is currently developing a new policy for Irish-medium education outside of Gaeltacht areas. The policy will be informed by a consultation process. Phase 1 of the consultation process, which involved an online questionnaire and a call for written submissions, ran from 27 October 2022 to 30 January 2023. The second phase, which includes focus groups, is currently underway. A review of national and international literature on minority language education provision has also been commissioned, along with research on Aonaid/Sruthanna in Irish-medium education. This research will also inform the policy development process.