Help fund Irish schools
By Ned Kelly
Tuesday 19 May saw the launch of a patronage scheme to help fund
the shortfall that exists in state funding for Irish medium
education. Launched by Gaeloiliuint, the Earlamh scheme aims to
encourage friends of Irish medium education, Irish culture
enthusiasts, those employed in Irish medium jobs and people with
a concern for the equality agenda to give a small monthly
donation towards combating this shortfall.
The scheme aims to help fund Irish schools that currently receive
no state funding during their start-up phase and to cover running
costs until they become established; a short fall of over
£200,000 per year. The scheme aims to meet the need of six
schools immediately - Primary or Naiscoileanna in Coalisland,
Strabane, Dunloy, Downpatrick and Castlewellan. They are
currently impelled to reach a criteria equivalent to the
Integrated sector, of 25 new places every year before state
funding is awarded. For the secondary or meanscoil in Derry the
criteria calls for 80 places to be filled every year.
Cathal O'Donghaile from Gaeloiliuint stressed the forward
momentum of the entire Irish culture movement. O'Donghaile spoke
of his dream - ``to see a naiscoil on the Shankill''.
In the long term he said that Gaeloiliuint intended to provide
funding for Irish medium nursery education which currently
receives no state funding for its 30 plus schools, representing a
shortfall of almost £300,000. He also said, ``a donation account
will shortly be set up with a US bank in Boston under the
auspices of `The Gael Foundation' that will also administer the
funds generated by the scheme in Ireland''.
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