Ní bhainfear spriocanna amach gan dul i ngleic leis an teip iomlán soláthar an Ghaeloideachais a mhéadú – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Tharraing Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir Shinn Féin, aird ar fhigiúirí sna Táscairí Oideachas a d’fhoilsigh an Roinn Oideachais inné mar “ábhair imní” ar teip an rialtais gníomhú de réir a bhriathar maidir le hoideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge a mhéadú chun freastal ar an éileamh ó thuismitheoirí agus daltaí.

Dúirt an Teachta Dála ar son Baile Átha Cliath Lár Theas:

“Ba chóir go ngoinfeadh na Táscairí Oideachas seo aire na Roinne.

“Thug an tAire Joe McHugh gealltanas dúinn sa bhliain 2019 go ndéanfadh an rialtas obair i dtreo líon na ndaltaí san oideachas lánGhaeilge a dhúbailt faoi 2030.

“Tá sé soiléir dúinn anois gur ag céatadán marbhánta 8.1% de líon iomlán na ndaltaí bunscoile a d’fhan siad ó 2018, agus níl ach 3.6% ag meánleibhéal i nGaelcholáiste, mar a bhí sa bhliain 2017.

“In ainneoin go bhfuil 4 Gaelscoileanna agus 2 Gaelcholáistí sa bhreis againn anois ó 2017, níl aon feabhas tagtha ó thaobh codán na ndaltaí.

“Tar éis cúig bliain gan aon dul chun cinn, agus gan ach seacht mbliana fágtha, is mithid don Roinn luí isteach ar soláthar a chur ar fáil.

“Tuigtear go gcuirfeadh 23% de thuismitheoirí a gcuid páistí ag freastal ar scoileanna lánGhaeilge, ach níl na spásanna ann. Tá dualgas ar an rialtas freastal ar an éileamh sin, ach is cosúil nach bhfuil feabhas ar bith tagtha ar an scéal le cúig bliain anuas.

“Díol suntais is ea é nach raibh aon tagairt don gheallúint dúbailt a dhéanamh ar sholáthar in aon chuid den cháipéiseacht a bhain leis an bPolasaí don Oideachas LánGhaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht atá faoi chomhairliúcháin phoiblí faoi láthair, ach níor tháinig aon fógra ón rialtas go bhfuil cinneadh glactha acu tarraingt siar ón ngeallúint sin.

“Tá Sinn Féin tar éis ár n-aighneacht féin ar an bpróiseas comhairleacháin sin a fhoilsiú le déanaí, áit ar chuir an obair a theastaíonn in iúl más mian linn éileamh don Ghaeloideachas ní amháin a shásamh, ach a fhás, agus mhol muid tabhairt faoi spriocanna grádaithe dírithe ar sholáthar a mhéadú ar bhonn céimnitheach go dtí go mbeidh 50% de na daltaí ag bunleibhéal rollaithe i scoileanna lánGhaeilge faoi 2050.

“Seo an cineál uailmhian atá ag teastáil ionas go mbeidh an stát in ann dualgais eile a chomhlíonadh ar nós a chinntiú go mbeidh 20% d’earcaithe don státchóras in ann Gaeilge a labhairt ó 2030 agus go bhféadfar seirbhísí a sholáthar do phobail na Gaeltachta ina dteanga féin mar a bhí molta chomh fada siar le 1926.

“Ní féidir tabhairt faoi aon chuid dóibh sin a chomhlíonadh fad is atá an tAire Norma Foley agus a Roinn ag suí siar gan faic a dhéanamh seachas tuarascálacha a choimisiúnú agus próisis comhairliúchán a reáchtáil arís is arís i ndiaidh a chéile.

“I mo dháilcheantar, agus san dáilcheantar béaldoras, tá páistí, tuismitheoirí agus múinteoirí tar éis a bheith amuigh ag stocaireacht chun oideachas tré Ghaeilge áitiúl a bheith acu áit nach ann dó, i mBaile Átha Cliath 10 agus 12 ag lorg Gaelscoil agus i mBÁC 2, 4, 6 agus 8 ag lorg Gaelcholáiste chun freastail ar pháistí Gaelscoileanna an cheantair. Níl mar freagra ón Aire Foley ach ciúnas.

“Tá sé in am an ceart a aithint do gach páiste in Éirinn fáil a bheith acu ar oideachas lánGhaeilge más mian leo tabhairt faoi, agus teastaíonn plean ón rialtas chun é sin a chur i bhfeidhm.”

Glaring failure to increase Irish-medium education provision must be addressed if targets are to be met – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, pointed to figures in the Education Indicators published yesterday by the Department of Education as “worrying proof” that the government has failed to deliver on the promise of increasing Irish-medium education to meet the demand from parents and pupils.

The Dublin South Central TD said:

“These Education Indicators should raise alarm bells in the Department.

“We had a commitment in 2019 from Minister Joe McHugh that the government would work to double the number of pupils at Irish medium education by 2030.

“We now know that the percentage has remained stagnant at 8.1% of all primary school pupils since 2018, and only 3.6% at second level are in Irish medium schools, as was the case in 2017.

“Despite having 4 Irish medium primary schools and 2 Irish medium secondary schools more than we had in 2017, there has been no improvement in terms of the percentage of pupils.

“After five years with no progress, and only seven years left to go, the Department really needs to get its finger out and deliver.

“We know that 23% of parents would like to send their kids to Irish medium schools, but the spaces simply aren’t there. Government has a duty to cater to that demand, but appears to have achieved no improvement in the last five years.

“The commitment to double provision was notably absent in any of the documentation relating to the Policy on Irish Medium Education outside the Gaeltacht that is undergoing public consultation at present, although we have had no word from government that they are reneging on that promise.

“Sinn Féin recently published our submission to that consultation process where we highlighted the issues that need to be addressed if we are to not only meet but grow demand for education trí Ghaeilge, and called for a graduated set of targets aimed at progressively increasing provision until 50% of pupils at primary level are enrolled in Irish medium schools by 2050.

“This is the kind of ambition that is needed if the state is to live up to other commitments such as ensuring 20% of public service recruits from 2030 can speak Irish and services can finally be delivered to Gaeltacht communities in their own language as was called for as far back as 1926.

“None of that can happen if Minister Norma Foley and her Department continue to sit back and do nothing beyond commissioning reports and engaging in consultation process after consultation process.

“In my constituency and the next door constituency, kids, parents and teachers have been out campaigning for years for local Irish medium schooling where there is none, for a Gaelscoil in the case of Dublin 10 and 12, and in Dublin 2, 4, 6, and 8 for a second-level school (Gaelcholáiste) to cater for the pupils of local Gaelscoileanna. The response from Minister Foley has been silence.

“It’s time the right of every child in Ireland to access Irish-medium education if they so choose was respected, and that requires a plan from government to deliver.”