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Programme of new Government

June 21, 2007

GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. wish to congratulate the new government and the newly appointed Ministers. We especially wish to congratulate the Minister of Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, TD, and the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamonn Ó Cuív, TD on their re-appointments. Referring to the programme for government, GAELSCOILEANNA TEO.’s Chief Executive, Bláthnaid Ní Ghréacháin, said "The setting up of a senior group of executives between these two departments as well as the reinstituting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language are two recommendations that will benefit the Irish-medium education sector and the Irish language in general and we strongly welcome this cross-departmental cooperation and we believe the opportunities of collaboration that emerge, would be of benefit to the sector".

GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. welcome the fact that "harnessing the huge potential of the Gaelscoil movement and improving the quality of Irish in English-medium schools" is a stated priority of the Government. The organisation is delighted that new arrangements will be put in place to enable gaelscoileanna to hire teachers with a strong ability to teach all subjects through Irish. According to GAELSCOILEANNA TEO.’s President, Mícheál Ó Broin, "we strongly welcome the commitments given and the steps outlined in relation to delivering a high standard of accommodation for new schools and for schools that already exist. There will be a need to immediately implement these same commitments for the benefit of the Irish-medium education sector which has been in an accommodation crisis for a number of years. It is imperative that these commitments are implemented for those schools that aren’t newly established but that are still without satisfactory accommodation. We also welcome the promises made in relation to increased funding for schools and the reduction of class sizes."

 

GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. however notes that there is a lack of reference to some of the immediate and crucial issues of the sector, including an agreed state policy on immersion education and learning assessment tools suitably adjusted for the specific needs of the Irish-medium education.

GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. will continue to lobby on behalf of the Irish-medium schools and we look forward to a positive working relationship and cooperation with the government to develop our organisation’s aims.

GAELSCOILEANNA TEO. is the national co-ordinating body for schools teaching through the medium of Irish. It helps parents and local groups to set up new schools and supports the established all-Irish schools. There are 163 primary schools and 38 secondary schools currently providing education through the medium of Irish. 5 new Irish medium primary schools will open in September 2007 as well as 4 post-primary schools.

 

Further information:

Oifig GAELSCOILEANNA TEO.:- 01 4773155

Mícheál Ó Broin 087-9467700

ENDS