25% of Parents Want Irish-Medium Education, But Only 8% of Schools Are Gaelscoileanna

A recent Primary School Survey by the Department of Education and Youth revealed that 24.8% of parents with children not yet in school would choose Irish-medium education if available. However, only 8% (250) of schools nationwide are Gaelscoileanna.

Caoimhín Ó hEaghra, CEO of An Foras Pátrúnachta, which oversees most Gaelscoileanna, stated that this disparity shows the Department is not committed to Irish-medium education for the 65,000 children currently unserved. He emphasized the need to triple the number of Gaelscoileanna by adding 500 more schools to meet demand, noting that neither Minister Naughton nor the Department has announced plans for even one new school.

Ó hEaghra called for a planning school district approach, where 25% demand for Irish-medium education in a district with 20 schools should result in 5 Gaelscoileanna. He accused the Department of ignoring the Government Programme, with the government facilitating this oversight. Minister Hildegarde Naughton, however, described the survey results as a crucial reflection of parents' voices on the future of education, emphasizing that local community opinions are most important.

Parents like Cormac MacGabhann, a Dublin preschool parent, feel unheard. He wants Irish-medium education for his sons but has no access to a Gaelscoil, forcing them into English-medium schools. An Foras Pátrúnachta advocates for a comprehensive framework from the Department for Irish-medium education at both primary and post-primary levels.