Time to Decide on Accommodation for North Kildare Gaelcholaiste - Stagg

Issued : Tuesday 31 October, 2017
Areas : Kildare North

Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg has again raised with the Minister for Education the issue of the securing of accommodation for the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste in Maynooth, which is due to open in 2019.

The Minister advised Mr. Stagg that Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board are continuing to examine options for accommodation for the school which will involve consideration of the timing and availability of appropriate infrastructure in the area. The Minister reiterated to Mr. Stagg that his Department would continue to work closely with KWETB and An Foras Patrunachta in relation to the provision of appropriate accommodation for the establishment of the school.

The Maynooth Education Campus stated Mr. Stagg is due for completion in May, 2019, so the old Maynooth Post Primary School is an obvious choice for the Gaelcholaiste. Mr. Stagg further stated that it was time the KWETB and An Foras Patrunachta decided on the Accommodation for the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste to give certainty to pupils and parents who want to use the facility in 2019.

In conclusion Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg stated that he would continue to press the Minister on this issue to ensure that the Gaelcholaiste opens on time in 2019.

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16th SEPTEMBER, 2017 - Examination of Accommodation Options for North Kildare Gaelcholaiste Still Ongoing - Stagg

Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg has again raised with the Minister for Education the issue of the securing of accommodation for the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste in Maynooth, which is due to open in 2019.

The Minister advised Mr. Stagg that Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board are continuing to examine options for accommodation for the school which will involve consideration of the timing and availability of appropriate infrastructure in the area. The Minister reiterated to Mr. Stagg that his Department would continue to work closely with KWETB and An Foras Patrunachta in relation to the provision of appropriate accommodation for the establishment of the school.

The Maynooth Education Campus stated Mr. Stagg is due for completion in May, 2019, so the old Maynooth Post Primary School is an obvious choice for the Gaelcholaiste.

In conclusion Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg stated that he would continue to press the Minister on this issue to ensure that the Gaelcholaiste opens on time in 2019.

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6th JULY, 2017 - Discussions Ongoing over Accommodation Options for North Kildare Gaelcholaiste - Stagg

Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg has again raised with the Minister for Education the issue of the securing of accommodation for the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste in Maynooth, which is due to open in 2019.

The Minister advised Mr. Stagg that he understood that a range of issues relating to the opening of the Gaelcholaiste are being discussed by Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board and An Foras Patrunachta, who are the joint patrons of the Gaelcholaiste. The Minister reiterated that his Department would continue to work closely with both bodies in relation to the provision of appropriate accommodation for the establishment of the school.

The Maynooth Education Campus stated Mr. Stagg is due for completion in May, 2019, so the old Maynooth Post Primary School is an obvious choice for the Gaelcholaiste.

In conclusion Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg stated that he would continue to press the Minister on this issue to ensure that the Gaelcholaiste opens on time in 2019.

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13th APRIL, 2017 - KWETB Examining Accommodation Options for North Kildare Gaelcholaiste

Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg has again raised with the Minister for Education the issue of the securing of accommodation for the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste in Maynooth, which is due to open in 2019.

The Minister advised Mr. Stagg that Maynooth Community College opened in 2014 with an Irish-medium Aonad and it was stated that should the Aonad demonstrate sufficient viability after four years from its date of establishment, a Gaelcholáiste would be established, in a partnership patronage model between Kildare and Wicklow ETB and An Foras Pátrúnachta.

The Minister further advised Mr. Stagg that In the interim, the Department will continue to work closely with the Education and Training Board and An Foras Pátrúnachta in relation to the provision of appropriate accommodation for the establishment of the Gaelcholáiste. Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board is currently examining the options for accommodation for the Gaelcoláiste which will involve consideration of the timing and availability of appropriate infrastructure in the Maynooth area.

Welcoming the response from the Minister that the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board were finally examining the options for accommodation of the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste, Kildare North Labour Party Representative Emmet Stagg stated that he would continue to press the Minister on this issue to ensure that the Gaelcholaiste opens on time in 2019.

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8th MARCH, 2017 - Stagg Presses Minister on North Kildare Gaelcholaiste

Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg has again raised the issue of planning for the opening of the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste in Maynooth and enrolment in the Aonad in Maynooth Community College with the Minister for Education.

Given that the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste is due to be up and running in 2019, Mr. Stagg repeated that time was now of the essence in relation to securing accommodation for the Gaelcholaiste. Mr. Stagg also sought confirmation that enrolment into the Aonad at Maynooth Community College demonstrated the clear need for the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste.

The Minister advised Mr. Stagg that a Gaelcholáiste to serve the North Kildare area will open in 2019, subject to sufficient viability of the Irish-medium Aonad, which is currently part of Maynooth Community College. The Gaelcholáiste will operate under the patronage of Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board with An Foras Pátrúnachta.  In that context, the Department will continue to work closely with the Education and Training Board and An Foras Pátrúnachta in relation to the provision of appropriate accommodation for the establishment of the Gaelcholáiste. The Minister also advised that the department would continue to monitor the enrolment trend for the Aonad with the Education and Training Board and An Foras Patrunachta in relation to the establishment of the Gaelcholaiste.

Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg has welcomed the continued commitment from the Minister that his Department will continue to work closely with the patrons in securing appropriate accommodation for the Gaelcholaiste and whilst not disclosing the enrolment numbers at the Aonad, they must be satisfactory as the establishment of the Gaelcholaiste remains on track.

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30th DECEMBER, 2016 - Stagg Raises Planning for North Kildare Gaelcholaiste with Minister

Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg has raised the issue of planning for the opening of the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste in Maynooth with the Minister for Education

Given that the North Kildare Gaelcholaiste is due to be up and running in 2019, Mr. Stagg stated that time was now of the essence in relation to securing accommodation for the Gaelcholaiste whether that would be in the mooted old Maynooth Post Primary School when the Maynooth Education Campus is opened or some other alternative accommodation.

The Minister advised Mr. Stagg that a Gaelcholáiste to serve the North Kildare area will open in 2019, subject to sufficient viability of the Irish-medium Aonad, which is currently part of Maynooth Community College. The Gaelcholáiste will operate under the patronage of Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board with An Foras Pátrúnachta.  In that context, the Department will continue to work closely with the Education and Training Board and An Foras Pátrúnachta in relation to the provision of appropriate accommodation for the establishment of the Gaelcholáiste.

Kildare North Labour Representative Emmet Stagg has welcomed the commitment from the Minister that his Department will continue to work closely with the patrons in securing appropriate accommodation for the Gaelcholaiste but advised that he would continue to press the Minister to ensure that a decision on accommodation is made at an early date.

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17th NOVEMBER, 2015 - Stagg Pleased at Go-Ahead for Gaelcholaiste for North Kildare

Deputy Emmet Stagg has welcomed the announcement today by the Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan T.D. of the inclusion of a North Kildare Gaelcholaiste in the School Building Programme 2016-2021.

Deputy Stagg stated that he had presented the submission by An Foras Patrunachta to his colleague Jan O'Sullivan T.D. on 23rd October, 2014, which outlined the clear case there is for the provision of a North Kildare Gaelcholaiste.

The Minister has now indicated that a Gaelcholaiste for North Kildare will open in 2019. This is in view of continued support for an Independent Gaelcholaiste in the North Kildare Area and the anticipated numbers in the Aonad in Maynooth Community College.

The Gaelcholaiste will be built in Maynooth and will come under the patronage of Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board and An Foras Patrunachta and will cater for an estimated 500 students.

In conclusion Deputy Stagg stated that he was pleased that the campaign for the Gaelcholaiste for North Kildare had come to a successful conclusion.

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25th OCTOBER, 2014 - Stagg Presents Case for North Kildare Gaelcholaiste to Minister

Deputy Emmet Stagg met with his colleague Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan T.D. on Thursday 23rd October and presented the submission by An Foras Patrunachta outlining the clear case there is for the provision of a North Kildare Gaelcholaiste.

The submission, stated Deputy Stagg, was prepared given the review currently underway across the Country by the Department of Education of developments required in Post Primary Education from 2017. It is expected that this review will be completed by next April and will form the basis of the Departments Capital Plan 2015/2020.

Outlining the clear case for the provision of a North Kildare Gaelcholaiste, Deputy Stagg stated that Colaiste Cois Life in Lucan was originally intended to meet the needs of students for second level education through Irish for North Kildare and West Dublin but that places were effectively no longer available for the needs of North Kildare Students at Colaiste Cois Life, given that the school is now above its built capacity. Colaiste Cois Life has also changed its enrolment policy effectively disenfranchising students from North Kildare other than those who may qualify under the sibling route.

The Proposed Gaelcholaiste for North Kildare stated Deputy Stagg will also cover Gaelscoils's in Edenderry and Dunboyne. Enrolments for 2014/2015 in Scoil Ui Fhiaich in Maynooth, Scoil Ui Riada in Kilcock and Scoil Ui Dhalaigh in Leixlip stand at 1,402 pupils with the total number of pupils including Edenderry and Dunboyne being 1,745. Based on previous enrolments into Colaiste Cois Life from the North Kildare Gaelscoils and estimated enrolments from Edenderry and Dunboyne more than 100 pupils would enrol each year if there was a North Kildare Gaelcolaiste. This means that there is sufficient demand for a 650 Pupil North Kildare Gaelcholaiste.

In relation to the Aonad in Maynooth, Deputy Stagg stated that the Departments statement that if a sustained level of support over a four year period for the Aonad could be shown, then consideration will be given to the establishment of an Independent Gaelcholaiste in the area was effectively severing the choice for students to continue their education fully immersed in Irish. This was wrong because the submission clearly shows already that the demand is there for a Gaelcholaiste for North Kildare.

Deputy Stagg thanked his colleague, Minister Jan O'Sullivan T.D. for meeting with him and indicated that he looked forward to a positive outcome following the review by the Department.