Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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777.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is satisfied that every effort is being made to facilitate parents in north Kildare wishing to educate their children in Gaelscoileanna at junior and senior level, particularly in the timely provision of proper and permanent school buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32461/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Significant progress has been made by my Department in implementing the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, and the Department is now progressing work on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. In addition to this work, a new unit has been established within the Department recently to develop a policy framework and action plan to support the teaching of Irish in English-medium schools.

Since its publication, the Policy on Gaeltacht Education has contributed to strengthening the delivery of Irish-medium education in Gaeltacht areas. Under this policy, significant support has been provided to Gaeltacht schools through the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme. Language-based criteria are set out for schools within this Scheme to ensure they are providing a high standard of education through the medium of Irish. An Irish-medium B.Ed. and an M.Ed. in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht education have also been established under this Policy.

The new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht will build on the achievements of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education. A public consultation process has been conducted to gather the views of stakeholders, and Sealbhú, a research centre in DCU, has carried out an analysis of the information gathered throughout the consultation. Sealbhú was also commissioned to undertake a review of international literature which focused upon teaching through minority languages. Insights gleaned from the consultation process and from the research undertaken will inform the development of the new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht.

The policy framework and action plan to be developed by the Department’s newly established Irish Language Unit for English-medium Schools will address particular key strategic challenge points where immediate and tangible action is likely to make a difference in a reasonable period of time. The policy framework and action plan will be informed by national and international research and by extensive consultation with stakeholders at national and school level.

With respect to Irish Medium school places North Kildare, there are 7 Gaelscoileanna and 2 Gaelcholáistí in the area. At primary level, according to data provided by the schools, only 3 of the 7 Gaelscoileanna were oversubscribed for Junior Infants in 2023/24, with 43 additional places remaining unfilled across the other 4 schools. At post primary level, neither of the two Gaelcholáistí were oversubscribed, with 20 first year places remaining unfilled for 2023/24.

More than €280 million has been invested in school infrastructure in County Kildare since 2020 alone, reflecting a strong focus on alignment of school place availability with the significant residential development across the county. This investment includes projects for a new Gaelcholáiste in Maynooth to cater for 350 pupils plus provision for children with special educational needs, which is currently at Stage 1. Additionally, a new school building project for Gaelscoil Ruairi in Maynooth to provide a 8 classroom school plus provision for children with special educational needs is currently at Stage 2B.

These projects will provide additional capacity in Irish medium schools in North Kildare, further to the places that are already available across schools in the area.