Assessment for new Gael Cholaiste in town

THE Department of Education is set to carry out a ‘ technical assessment’ on whether a new Gaelcholáiste will get the green light in the Dundalk area.

Local parents have said that this is a welcome step in the campaign for a new Gaelcholáiste for County Louth and are now waiting expectantly for a positive outcome.

‘Parents who want Irish medium secondary level education for their children, have continued lobbyinglocal TD’s, the Minister for Education and senior Department of Education officials since the loss of immersive Irish secondary level education in Dundalk last September,’ said Aidan Kinsella, a spokesman for the parents group which has been lobbying for local children to have access to full immersive secondary Irish education since last year.

‘ This move from the Department comes following a formal proposal submitted by An Foras Pátrúnachta (AFP), a patron of Irish medium education schools. Detailed discussions have been held throughout the lockdown period on how gaelcholáiste can be established in Dundalk for the post primary education of children of County Louth and the northeast through Irish.’

He explained that during late February and March AFP met with local parents to see what level of interest there is for a gaelcholáiste.

‘Despite the initial coronavirus lockdown restrictions hampering the ability to arrange public meetings, over 130 children were registered as potential future pupils of a gaelcholáiste,’ said Aidan.

‘In their proposal, submitted in early April, AFP set out how they would open and operate a full immersion school in Dundalk where the full range of all curriculum subjects would be taught through Irish, initially operating as a satellite of their Gaelcholáiste in Balbriggan.’

He added that this meant that management and admin would be provided by the parent school and the timetable and curriculum would be planned so that some teachers would be shared to complement the permanent teachers based in the satellite.

‘ The objective is to grow the numbers attending the satellite so that it can operate as a standalone school as soon as possible, providing top class education through Irish to the children of Louth, under the patronage and management of An Foras Pátrúnachta.’

;The proposal identified the former Marist school buildings as a potential home for the new school. The Dept. of education, as part of their analysis of the proposal, instructed an architect to carry out a technical assessment of the buildings; this assessment was completed in the first week of June.’

A number of Parliamentary Questions had been submitted in the Dáil to the Minister by local TD’s from Sinn Féin, Fine Gael and Labour, to which the Department of Education confirmed that active discussions are taking place with An Foras Pátrúnachta in relation to a proposal for a Gaelcholáiste under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta to also have a campus in County Louth. The Minister advised that the parties are assessing options in Dundalk for the upcoming school year.

The Minister said that all parties are conscious of the short timeframe to the start of the school year, and that efforts are being made to ‘ expedite this assessment.’

Meanwhile, the local parents group added that they understood that the section within the department which are responsible for new school planning, are preparing a report on the merits and feasibility of the AFP proposal.

‘Parents are hopeful that this report, which has the potential to transform Irish medium education in Louth for years to come, will be completed very shortly as many of them are hoping that their children will be able to return to school in Dundalk in September,’ said Aidan Kinsella.