De Burca calls on Minister to officially recognise Blessington Gaelscoil
Green Party councillor Deirdre de Burca has called on the Minister for Education to grant official recognition to the Gaelscoil in Blesington. Cllr De Burca says that the Gaelscoil has received several ‘unofficial’ communications from the Department which indicate that official recognition will not be given at present.
According to the Green Party councillor, the Minister’s response is just not acceptable. “West Wicklow has a proven demand for a Gaelscoil and that families in that region have the right to have their children educated through Irish” she says. “The population of Blessington is between 2500 and 3000 at present. The “cap” for population growth is set at 6000 in the development plan. There are two schools in Blessington which have been given the go-ahead to expand because they are bursting at the seams”.
Cllr de Burca points out that the catchment area for the Gaelscoil is West Wicklow, not Blessington. “The school has proven this to the Minister by showing her that almost 30% of the current enrolements are from outside Blessington including Hollywood, Dunlavin, and Manor Kilbride” she says.
“There is a proven demand for a Gaelscoil in the area” according to de Burca. “The school now has 80 enrolments up to 2008, with 21 enrolled for junior infants 2006 and 11 for senior infants 2006. The Minister’s suggestion that the people of Blessington can send their children to Gaelscoileanna in Naas or Rathcoole is ridiculous because these schools are not in a position to take additional children this year and also would require children travelling for 1 hour a day on dangerous roads by car to Naas and to Rathcoole, and parents travelling for twice that time every day”.
The Green Party councillor points out that the VEC has supported the Gaelscoil by giving it a temporary site. “However the Gaelscoil needs planning permission for the site, but time is running out,” she says. “The school has also secured a permanent site, which is close to where new estates are being built at this very moment”.
The Green Party has called on Minister Dick Roche to use his influence with the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, to ensure that the Blessington Gaelscoil gets temporary recognition immediately. “There is nothing more important than ensuring that our children are properly educated and that proper provision is made for this,” she says. “As politicians this should be one of our top priorities”.
