Language Campaign group ‘delighted’ with announcement on Irish language new school
August 9, 2011
A campaign group which has been calling for the establishment of a new Irish language secondary school in South Dublin has enthusiastically welcomed an announcement from the Department of Education that such a school will open in the Dundrum area in 2014.
Speaking on Wednesday Lúgh Ó Braonáin, secretary of Bunchoiste Gaelcholáiste Dheisceart Átha Cliath praised the role of Gaelscoileanna Teo. And Co Dublin VEC, in the campaign: ‘The staff at Gaelscoileanna have been of huge support to us providing much needed practical support encouraging throughout the process. The VEC has also given us great support and if they are confirmed as patron for the new school we know that their expertise and experience will ensure that the new school will provide a first class education to its pupils.’
The campaign group for Gaelcholáiste Dheisceart Átha Cliath, which is made up of parents from the six local Primary level Gaelscoileanna with support from local politicians and educators, has long noted that there has been a doubling of pupil numbers attending the local Irish language primary schools with no attendant increase in Second level Irish Language school places. With the support of their proposed patron body, County Dublin VEC, the campaign group has sought the establishment of an Irish language, multi-denominational, mixed gender community based school, in a suitable premises which has been identified in the Dundrum area.
On Tuesday, August 3rd, after more than 5 years of campaigning, Gaelcholáiste Dheisceart Átha Cliath received notification form the Department of Education and Skills that such a school will be opened in Dundrum County Dublin in 2014. While the patronage of the school is yet to be determined, the campaigning group are confident that the County Dublin VEC will be identified as the most suitable patron body seeing as it has fully supported the proposed Gaelcholáiste and that it has experience in setting up similar schools in recent years elsewhere in Dublin.
Fergal Ó Riain, the committee’s chairman said: ‘I’m delighted that the Department has recognised the pressing need for additional Irish language second level school places in the Dundrum region. The committee of Galecholáiste Dheisceart Átha Cliath have been campaigning for such a school since 2005 and have received the support of hundreds of local families and students as well as support from local and national politicians over this time. Other Irish language schools in the city and county have also been extremely supportive, as has our patron body, County Dublin VEC. We’re grateful to all of our supporters and look forward to the day when the new school will open its doors to students who have, until now, had no prospect other than to continue their education through the medium of English despite spending their primary school years in an Irish language environment. The provision of the new school will offer genuine choice and will, I’m sure, serve the needs of the community well into the future.’
