Proposal for new Irish-medium nursery unit turned down

Education Minister, John O’Dowd, has turned down a development proposal for a new full-time nursery unit at Gaelscoil na Daróige in Londonderry.

Speaking about his decision, the Minister said: “My views on the value of pre-school provision for young children are well known. In May I announced additional funding of over £13 million for early years services over the next three years, some of which will be used to increase availability of pre-school places.

“The challenge I face is not simply to create more pre-school places, but rather to ensure pre-school provision reflects the needs of the local area. Each development proposal must be carefully considered on the basis of all the information pertinent to the individual case. In this particular case, I am satisfied that there is already sufficient Irish- medium pre-school provision in the area.”

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In conclusion the Minister said: “I am fully committed to encouraging and facilitating the development of Irish-medium education, including in the pre-school sector. Parents can choose to educate their children through the medium of Irish and I am confident that the Irish-medium pre-school provision in the area can meet their needs.”

The Western Education and Library Board Pre-School Education Advisory Group will continue to monitor the demand for Irish- medium pre-school provision to ensure that sufficient places are available to meet the needs of parents wishing to secure a pre-school setting for their children.

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