Republican News · Thursday 13 March 1997

[An Phoblacht]

Success for Clones Gaelscoil

By Aine Keane

Monaghan county and urban councillor Caoimhghin 0'Caoláin has congratulated the parents' committee of the Clones Irish language school, Gaelscoil Eois, on their success in securing Government funding for the school after two years.

The Gaelscoil will be formally recognised and funded by the Department of Education from 7 April.

Initially set up to respond to the community's desire for an all-Irish school, the Gaelscoil survived through community support and fundraising alone for two years. Although it met the Government's annual requirement of 20 previously unregistered pupils in 1995, the qualifying criteria for Gaelscoileanna was changed without warning in 1996 to an annual attendance of 20 junior infants. It was this Government decision that sparked High Court action by the school's board of management. This action had just begun when the Department of Education conceded recognition to Gaelscoil Eois.

At present the Clones school is attended by 29 children and operates in a disused shop building with one fulltime teacher. Now however, due to its proposed Government funding Brian McQuaid, the chairperson of the school's management board, hopes to see an increase in attendance and a new school building some time in the future. The teaching staff will be increased to two by September. McQuaid also believes that without Clones community support and co-operation with other unrecognised Gaelscoileanna, the school would never have survived for the two years prior to its recognition.

Councillor O' Caoláin said that while Government recognition was great news for the Clones Gaelscoil and those in other counties who are also receiving funding, it is not in his view time for Government spokespersons to make political capital out of what was clearly an achievement by the committed parents of the Clones community. He further stated that ``given the efforts of this Government to deny the Clones parents their right to secure an all-Irish education for their children by their decision to move the qualifying criteria out of the gaelscoils' reach, I trust that we will be spared the traditional hollow statements of welcome from these quarters''.

Councillor O'Caoláin wished Gaelscoil Eois every success in the years ahead.

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