More multi and non-denominational schools needed for North Kildare

A Kildare North TD has highlighted the need for the Department of Education to build more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools in North Kildare.

Deputy Réada Cronin (SF) was speaking in the Dáil recently when 'Parental Choice in Education: Motion [Private Members]' came before the House.

Deputy Cronin told Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee TD that multi-denominational and non-denominational schools reflect our increasingly diverse population, and that their purpose is to ensure “that every child feels they belong when they walk through the gates of their local school.”

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She said: “Year on year I hear from parents in north Kildare who want to send their children to multi-denominational and non-denominational schools. Others want to have the choice of sending their child to a school that is not dominated by a particular religious ethos.

“Naas Community College and North Kildare Educate Together School in Celbridge, among many others, are shining examples of this. Only today, I heard that we have a waiting list of more than 20 children for Maynooth Community College, another multi-denominational school in north Kildare.

"Such schools are increasingly popular and with school places at a premium, we have to build the schools so that they are available to the children who need them.”

Also, Deputy Cronin said, more and more parents want to send their children to Gaelscoil, adding children had a right to be educated through Irish.

The Sinn Féin TD said that Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad in Maynooth - which is both a multi-denominational and a Gaelcholáiste - demonstates how we can support children from all religious backgrounds and increase the number of daily Irish speakers in the country.

However, she noted, this school needs a permanent building, and told the Minister that if she checked up on her parliamentary questions, she would see she has raised many parliamentary questions on the matter over the last few years.

Speaking on the broader issue of school places for children with additional needs, Deputy Cronin said: “Parents of children with additional needs are also crying out for appropriate school places for their children. I look forward to meeting members of the Kildare SEN Action Group tonight, with an Teachta Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, to see how we can help them in securing proper, adequate and resourced spaces for children with additional needs in Kildare.

“Their struggle highlights the complete failure of the Government to provide educational rights for all the children of the State. The Government needs to get serious about education for all our children.

“I will be supporting the Social Democrats' motion. I congratulate Deputy Cummins on her first motion.”