Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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.

The year of establishment, patronage model and language of instruction have yet to be determined for the new post-primary schools announced to serve the following two School Planning Areas in the general South Dublin area: Dublin 2_ Dublin 4; and Sallynoggin_Killiney_DLR/Cherrywood.

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. My Department met with representatives of the school patron of Coláiste Eoin and Coláiste Íosagáin and is arranging for a technical assessment of the school properties.

The new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht, which is currently being developed by the Department, has as one of its key objectives to explore how opportunities for the establishment of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí can be increased as part of the patronage process.

A public consultation commenced in October 2022 to inform the development of this new policy. This comprised an online questionnaire, a call for written submissions, and a series of focus groups. The information collected in the consultation process is being analysed by the Sealbhú research institute in DCU. Bilateral meetings were also held between an tAonad um Oideachas Gaeltachta and key stakeholders.

A number of pieces of research will also inform the development of the policy:

• A review of national and international research on minority language education (Sealbhú, DCU)
• Research on Irish-medium Aonaid and Sruthanna (Units and Streams) in English-medium schools (a team of researchers from UCC, Mary Immaculate and Munster Technological University)
• A report on current provision for Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht (Department of Education).Two composite reports on inspection findings on the quality of educational provision in Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí (Department of Education).