Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin, Ballincollig has been waiting for 5 years for a permanent site and a recent meeting of stakeholders prompted calls from some parents for a formal public petition to highlight the urgency around this matter. Frustrations are mounting around the delays in securing a permanent site and a recent petition, calling on the Department of Education to find a suitable site for the school received, over 1200 signatures in 48 hours from members of the Ballincollig community. Aside from the pressing matter of securing sibling places at the school, the protracted wait time in acquiring a site has hampered the ability of the school to serve the wider population in the local community, many of whom are keenly awaiting an opportunity to enroll their children in the school. The present temporary accommodation, rented at a huge cost to the Department of Education and the taxpayer, will not cater for the growing enrolment in the area. Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin has been on the Department of Education building programme since its establishment in 2017 but no progress has been made in acquiring a site for a permanent building. The school currently has 118 students, it is growing rapidly and increases in physical size each year to cater for the new incoming class. Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is a vibrant and developing Multidenominational Gaelscoil with a thriving music and violin programme, a keen focus on sport, a passionate faculty, and a reputation for excellence that has driven huge demand for places from families in the community of Ballincollig since its inception. School Principal, Máire Uí Shé is hopeful that a permanent site will see the long-term vision and potential of the school realised, “to continue to enable the dedicated school community to provide each pupil in our care with an excellent all-Irish primary education which promotes the holistic development of each child and enables him/her to become bilingual and attain high achievement levels in all areas of the curriculum. We are committed to nurturing the school as a caring learning community for children, their parents and staff in a welcoming, happy, safe and stimulating environment. Ní neart go cur le chéile. ” Parents and management are calling on the Department of Education to expedite the acquisition of the site without further delay.
