‘Unacceptable’ Derry Irish schools have to educate pupils in portable cabins in 2024, says Delargy

Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy said the Executive needs to properly invest in the Irish-medium school estate to allow pupils reach their full potential.

Speaking in the Stormont Assembly on Tuesday he described the three Gaelscoileanna in Derry – Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir, Gaelscoil na Daróige and Bunscoil Cholmcille – as ‘fantastic’ schools that ‘punch well above their weight in sport, in music and in academia’.

"That is one of the many reasons why so many parents have bought into them: parents have seen what they have done for their children, for their community and for our entire city,” he said.

But Mr. Delargy said these achievements were being realised in semi-permanent classrooms in many cases.

“One of the other things that they have in common is the fact that all three Gaelscoileanna in Derry continue to educate their children in Portakabins. That was not acceptable in 1980, it was not acceptable in 2000, and it certainly is not acceptable in 2024.

"There is an ethical reason why we need to do this, but there is also a financial reason. All of the parties in here came together last week and agreed that, financially, we have been hamstrung by the Tory Government in London and need to come together to oppose that.

"Financially, we also need to make a decision to properly fund education to make sure that our Gaelscoileanna and many other schools across the North are not crippled by soaring maintenance costs,” he said.

He said it was within the Executive’s gift to ensure all schools reach their potential.

"It is within our gift to make that happen. One of the things that was very clear yesterday is that the Education Minister [Paul Givan] has a desire to do that, and I welcome that very much.

“We have to work collectively to ensure that every child has not just a fair start but the best start in life. I want that for children in Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir, Gaelscoil na Daróige and Bunscoil Cholmcille.

"I want that for children in every school across the North, because we can see what they deserve. Our children, families and communities deserve that best start,” he said.

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