Colaiste Lu pupils await transport to Balbriggan

Colaiste Lu students who have been protesting against what they say is ‘ the degaeling of their Gael Choláiste’ since September have hit out at delays in transport provision to another school from the Department of Education

Around a dozen of the 41 pupils now remaining in Coláiste Lú who are able to make the trip are set to journey to Balbriggan every day,

The Colaiste Lu Parents Council said in a statement this week that most of these students ‘are anxious to ensure that they have the necessary Irish medium education to be able to sit their exams at the end of the year.’

They are awaiting confirmation of transport provision from the department, and according to the Parents Council the students ‘are worried that a date has not yet been set.’

One of the proposed solutions to the impasse at Colaiste Lu from the department was that children would be facilitated to travel to Coláiste Glór na Mara, as it is the closest Gael Choláiste in travel time.

‘Parents can’t understand why red tape is causing delays when transport funding was apparently not an issue seven weeks ago as set out in a letter to LMETB.’

‘It is now the middle of November and the requisite transport to enable children to get educated through Irish still has not been authorised by the Dept. The latest communication from the officials on 19th November,is that they are working on it, but they are unable to provide a date.’

The spokesman added: ‘Following on from a public meeting in Dundalk on Irish medium education, LMETB and An Foras Pátrúnachta agreed to explore how AFP could provide Irish medium education in Louth next year. General agreement has been reached in principle that AFP would provide Irish immersive education from September 2020 in Dundalk and that LMETB would help and support them in this objective. All of the remaining Coláiste Lú parents along with parents of 6thclass pupils in north Louth, in particular Gaelscoil Dhún Dealgan, are delighted with this proposal.’