Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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524. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if plans are in place to increase access to Gaelscoileanna in response to growing parental demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3586/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Since 2011, new arrangements have been in place for the establishment of new schools involving the forecasting of demand for school places based on demographic exercises carried out by the department. New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.

These new arrangements also give an opportunity to patrons to apply for the patronage of new schools. The criteria used in deciding on the patronage of new schools place a particular emphasis on parental patronage and language preferences and an analysis of existing provision in the areas where the schools are being established. This approach is underpinned by a 2011 Government decision.

The patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons. An Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) has been in operation under the Department since 2018 and provides objective information to parents in the relevant school planning areas to assist them in making an informed choice about their preferred model of patronage and language of instruction for the new school.

When the department announces that a new school(s) entity is required, a prospective patron can choose the school(s) it wishes to apply for and complete an application form in that regard for each school, for submission to the Department. The Department provides details on the OPPS of the school(s) and the list of applicant patrons which have applied for patronage of the school(s). Parents can then access the OPPS website, which allows them to access the appropriate survey for their area, to input the details of the eligible child(ren) and to select their preferred patron and language of instruction (with the exception of the Irish-medium primary gaelscoileanna which have been designated as Irish-medium prior to the opening of the OPPS - in the case of these schools, parents can select their preferred patron). 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 and to whether at post-primary level a school would take the form of a gaelcholáiste or whether, if English-medium, the school would include an Irish-medium unit or "aonad".

The patronage process for new schools is overseen by an external independent advisory group, the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG). This group was set up in 2011 to advise the Minister on the patronage of new schools. Following their consideration of the department’s assessment reports, the NSEG submits a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision. The assessment reports and the NSEG recommendations for all such patronage processes are made available on the education section of the gov.ie website.