About 100 children from five Gaelscoileanna in Dublin protested outside Leinster House on Wednesday over the failure to provide an Irish-medium secondary school that was promised last year.
The children, from Gaelscoil Lios na nÓg, Scoil Bhríde, Bunscoil Synge, Gaelscoil Inse Chór and Gaelscoil Eoin, were calling on the Minister for Education to meet the campaign group to discuss the Gaelcholáiste.
Following a lengthy campaign by the group Baile Átha Cliath 2, 4, 6 agus 8, it was announced in September that CBS Synge Street would become a coeducational Gaelcholáiste.
Edmund Rice Schools Trust said the school would transition from an English-medium, single-sex post-primary school to a coeducational Irish-medium Gaelcholáiste commencing with the first-year intake in 2026-2027.
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However, campaigners say no progress has been made several months on and they are no better informed about plans for the Gaelcholáiste.
Cormac Chambers, principal of Gaelscoil Lios na nÓg, said “despite many requests” to meet with the previous minister Norma Foley or her successor, Minister for Education Helen McEntee, “we haven’t even received a reply”.
“The members of the campaign feel very let down, frustrated and angry that they are being ignored in the process to set up a Gaelcholáiste,” he said.
“We believe that we have much to offer, and are a significant stakeholder, in the establishment of the Gaelcholáiste. We also have a huge amount of questions that need answers if we are to ensure that a successful Gaelcholáiste is set up.
“We are calling on the Minister to meet with the campaign as soon as possible to ensure that we can work together to achieve a successful Gaelcholáiste”.
Karen Hinkson-Deeny is a parent who hopes to enrol her daughter in the new Gaelcholáiste.
“At this present moment in time, I have no idea what building my child would be located in, whether this will be the same building she will be located in for her six years of second-level education, whether my child will have a toilet to use as there are currently no female toilets in the CBS Synge Street building, whether she will have all subjects available in Irish ... and very importantly will the school enrolment open in October 2025 when there isn’t even a principal employed yet,” said Ms Hinkson-Deeny, who stood in last year’s Dublin City Council elections for the Social Democrats.
“These are just a few of the questions that I have as a parent who is struggling to ensure that my child can receive an education through the medium of Irish.
“I really don’t think that it is good enough, or fair to all the parents in our schools, for the minister not to meet with us to discuss these questions and for her to hear from those that fought for the Gaelcholáiste over the last four years. We all want to see this new Gaelcoláiste be successful but we are off to a very bad start.”
