Parents to meet TDs on gaelscoil crisis

Parents campaigning for a new, 800-pupil, all-Irish secondary school in a Cork town will meet TDs next week as they ramp up their campaign to avert a looming schools place crisis.

A committee of parents from Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin primary school in Ballincollig has lodged a formal application with the Department of Education calling for the construction of a new, fully independent, 800-place, second-level gaelcholaiste in the town.

The campaign was launched following a public meeting in May at the gaelscoil, one of Ireland’s largest where pupils numbers will break the 600-barrier in September, to discuss the immediate lack of second level, all-Irish education places in the town.

The meeting was told that the boards of management of Choláiste Choilm and Gaelcholáiste Choilm adopted a new admissions policy earlier this year.

For the first time, pupils graduating from Gaelscoil Uí Ríordáin this year are not guaranteed a place in Gaelcholáiste Choilm’s tAonad.

Parents were told that if 80% of the students attending gaelscoileanna in the area wish to continue their second-level education through Irish this year, there will be a shortfall of 29 second-level places, and by 2020 — when today’s junior infants are graduating — a shortfall of up to 90 places is predicted.

It was decided that the best solution was the construction of a new, fully independent gaelcholáist.

Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin principal, Gabriel Ó Cathasaigh, said the fact that 200 people attended highlighted the level of concern.

“This campaign is coming from the parents and we are confident the department will look favourably on the application,” he said.

A spokesperson for the committee said the gaelscoil will have 620 pupils in September which will rise to 800 in four years.

“Presently, the only option of completing post primary education as gaeilge in Ballincollig is at an tAonad in Gaelcholáiste Choilm. In 1991, 18 students attended an tAonad — 360 are attending an tAonad today.

“There is an excellent relationship between the two schools. But the problem facing us is that an tAonad is now at its maximum capacity.”

The Cork Education and Training Board (ETB) has no plans to extend an tAonad.

Last month, the ETB announced the investment of €19m in a new three-school education campus in Carrigaline to include a gaelscoil, a gaelcholaiste and a special junior primary school, due to open in 2017.

Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin was founded in a room above a supermarket in Coolroe in 1984 with just 15 pupils.

In 2012, a €4.5m, 26-classroom building was opened in Carriganarra.