The following articles are in response to the &Eacuteire Branch's No. 1 AGM Resolution

Education Minister responds to Mannin Branch letter.

 The position is that it is the policy of my Department to facilitate the establishment of Gaelscoileanna in areas outside the Gaeltacht regions where a demand for such a school is demonstrated and where there exists no alternative within a reasonable distance. Practical support for Gaelscoileanna is further demonstrated through the payment of increased capital grants for pupils in these schools, allowing a more favourable pupil teacher ratio compared with ordinary schools, and paying allowances to teachers who teach through Irish. Furthermore, my Department provides lO0% of the cost of site acquisition and the provision of new buildings or extensions / renovations to existing buildings for Gaelscoileanna.

 This year, a total of 14 applications were received in my Department for the establishment of new Gaelscoileanna of which 9 were granted rescognition. Four of the remaining 5 proposed schools could not be approved due to the fact that they did not have 20 new junior infants to start in September, 1996. The fifth application did not succeed because as well as being satisfied abouts the future viability, the other long-standing criterion has been the extent to which facilities already exist in a particular area for the provision of primary school education through Irish. In this case a Gaelscoil already exists within a reasonable distance of the proposed new school.

 The suggestion has been made that my department changed the rule this year in relation to the mininium enrolment required for the recognition of schools. It must be recognised that a successful Gaelscoil depends on genuine parental demand hence, there is a requirement that a Gaelscoil have at least 20 Junior infants, who had not attended school previously, before recognition is granted. This is not a new condition, it has been in existence for a number of years and is based on the belief that if a school is unable to provide such an enrolment on opening, its viability in the future must be in doubt. Future viability is particularly relevant at a time of major decline in primary school enrolments generally within the State. My Department's latest projections put the current rate of decline at approximately 11,000 pupils per annum.

 The total number of Primary Gaelscoileanna operating within the State is now 95 and a third of these have been approved during my term of office as Minister for Education. I will continue to facilitate provision for education through Irish where there is a demand for it and where it is possible to do so.

 In that connection, I have established a Commission on School Accommodation Needs, arising from a commitment given in the White Paper Education "Charting our Education Future." As part of its remit the Commission will examine and make recommendations regarding appropriate criteria for the recognition of new national schools including Gaelscoileanna.

 I trust that this clarifies the position for you and I thank you for your interest in the matter.

 Yours sincerely,

 Niamh Bhreathnach T.D,
Minister for Education

Information from Conradh na Gaeilge on Irish Medium Schools

 "Among our (educational) policies are:
 
 

 Multi-denominational national schools and all-Irish primary schools are given initial recognition on a temporary basis for a number of years subsequent to their establishment. As a result of this, the promoters must provide temporary accommodation without the aid of capital grants during the period of temporary recognition. This is often a hardship on the promoters of such schools and may militate against their establishment.

 This requirement was originally imposed to ensure that State investment was made available for viable school projects. Because (for historical and practical reasons) new denominational school projects have been grant-aided from their inception, the requirement is seen as discriminatory against new school projects other than those promoted by the main religious denominations.

 In future, full recognition and full entitlement to capital grants will be given to all schools, including all-Irish and multi-denominational schools, from the date of their establishment as soon as the Minister is satisfied in each case that there will be a continuing need for the school.

 This will allow permanent accommodation to be pTovided at an earlier stage, and early recognition of new multi-denominational and all-Irish schools is listed as a priority in the Government of Renewal policy document.

 (cf. pages 32 and 33 of the White Paper on Education - Charting our Education Future.) 

Rules for Recognition - The Background

 2. In the Summer of 1987, the Department introduced a further sub-rule: new all-Irish schools would no longer be recognsed unless 20 or more pupils who had not previously attended school were enrolled in each school.

 3. The Minister for Education has now announced that the 20 new pupils, who had not previously attended school, must all enrol in the same year in the all-Irish school seeking recognition.

 Until now the neeessary quota of 20 new pupils could be attained by the school's enrolment figures over two years (or more).

 That is no longer to be allowed despite the fact that such children would have spent a year attending a school which was neither recognised nor subvented by the Department of Education.

 As a result of this new rule, the Minister is refusing to recognise three all-Irish schools which have been kept open since last year through the parents' fund-raising activities:

 - Scoil Phidraig, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin.
- Gaelscoil Inis Corthaidh, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.
- Gaelscoil Eois Clones, Co Monaghan.

 4. The Minister has also refused to recognise four all-Irish schools which are being opened in the following places come September and which have more than 20 pupils enrolled who have not previously attended schools.

 - Gaelscoil Cholmcille, Whitehall, Dublin 9.
- Gaelscoil Ui Fhiaich, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
- Gaciscoil na Boinne, Trim, Co. Meath.
- Gaelscoil na nDeise, Waterford.

 5. Yet another all-Irish primary school is being established this year - in Ballinamure, Co. Leitrim. It was not excpecting recognition this year as it would not have 20 pupils enrolled who had not attended school before. The Minister's new rule will make it extremely difficult for parents of that school to qualify for recognition next year, which they had been counting on.

 6. The following all-Irish primary schools in the Six Counties have yet to get official recognition:

 - Gaelscoil an Iuir, Newry, Co. Down (established in 1989)
- Bunscoil Lunaigh, Maghara, Antrim Road, Co. Derry (establishedi n 1993)
- Bunscoil Bheann Mhadagain, Belfast (established 1994)
- Bunscoil Ui Neill, Coalisland, Co. Tyrone (established iu 1995)

 7. Meanscoil Dhoire, the Derry post-primary all-lrish school established in 1994 is, also, without official recognition.

 8. The Minister for Education has announced that recognition will be given this year to Gaelscoil na Cruaiche, Westport, which operated without recognition from September 1995.

 9. The Minister for Education has announced that the foflowing new all-Irish schools shall be recognised this year:

 -Lios na nOg, Dublin 4 and 6.
-Gaelscofl Chnoc Liamhna, Knocklyon, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.
-Gaelscoil Bharra, Cabra, Dublin 7.
-Gaelscoil Chill Mhantain, Wicklow.
-Gaelscoil Cnoc na Ri, Sligo.
 
 

Growth and Development of Irish-medium schools

 (b) 10 Primary and 1 Post-Primary all-Irish schools were established in Septemb& 1994.

 (c) 11 new Prirnary all-Irish schools were established in September 1995.

 It would appear that that tremendous rate of expansion is a cause of concern for the Minister for Education and for her Department. Instead of trying to stifle that development the Department of Education should be doing its utmost to cater for it and, also, to take the wishes of many parents who wish to provide an all-Irish education for their children into account when the Department itself is planning new schools.

 Irish Medium Schools

 Primary Schools
 
 

1992/93          110    4       71      185
1993/94          109    7       77      193
1994/95          109    8       86      203
1995/96          109    10      95      214

Post-Primary Schools

1992/93           19    1       16      36
1993/94           18    1       22      41
1994/95           18    2       22      42
1995/96           22    2       22      46

Public Support

 Should the Government provide all-Irish schools wherever the public want them?
 
 

Year:                   1973    1983    1993

"Yes" Response:         70%      67%    70%

People were also asked whether they would send their children to an 
all-Irish school were such a school located near their home.

% of people responding "Yes"            1983    1993

to an all-Irish school                  24%     30%

to a Post Primary all-Irish school      19%     23%

 "We are delighted that the Minister has recognised parentaI rights to Irish Medium Education in these areas," said Jacqueline Ní Fhearghusa, GAELSCOILEANNA Executive.

 The parents have worked very hard to set up these schools and at least today they know that their children will be attending a recognised state school through the modium of Irish on September 2nd"

 However, GAELSCOlLEANNA have condemned the Minister's decision not to grant recognition to three schools that have been in operation for one year, in Ballybrack - Dublin, Clones - Co. Monagha and Enniscorthy - Co. Wexford.

 These three schools have operated unofficially for the last year with parents fund raising aIl the running costs of the schools such as teachers' salaries, rent, electricity, books etc, on the understandIng that they would be allowed to combine junior Infant numbers over a two or even three year period. If these schools had started one year earIier they would now be recognised but this year, the Minister has seen fit to change the rules four weeks before the start of the school term and has told the schools that this arrangement is no longer acceptable. Schools will now have to have 20 pupils every year in order to prove to the Departrnent that the schools are viable.

 A fourth school, in Maynooth, has also been refused for spurious reasons without proper foundation say GAELSCOlLEANNA.

 "We are outraged at the Minister's decision," said Jacqueline Ní Fhearghusa today.
"It is not acceptabIe that the Minister should change her rules at such short notice and without consultation with schools or with our organisation. It shows an appalling lack of understanding of proper planning structures and of any respect for parents or pluralism in education. The Minister promised the parents in Ballybrack last year when they met her in her clinic that if the parents could find twenty children over a two year period that they would have recognition this September. In fact the school has exceeded this demand and they have a total of 28 infants enrolled at the moment."

 GAELSCOILEANNA has announced that the schools will be opening as planned in September and a major fund raising campaign is now underway.

 For further information please contact:

 Jacqueline Ní Fhearghusa,
Feidhmeannach,
GAELSCOILEANNA,
7, Cearn&oacuteg Mhuirfean,
Baile Átha Cliath 2,
Éire.