Tá agóid dhlíthiúil le cur ar an Roinn Oideachais ó thuaidh mar gheall gur theip uirthi an t-aon bhunscoil lán-Ghaeilge i bhFear Manach a aistriú go foirgneamh ceart in ainneoin gealltanas a tugadh don scoil in 2015, sin atá á thuairisciú anseo ag The Detail agus Meon Eile.
Dhá bhliain go leath i ndiaidh do Bhunscoil an Traonaigh cead a fháil bogadh óna lóistín sealadach ar imeall Lios na Scéithe, tá sé go fóill idir dhá cheann na meá agus páistí á múineadh i mbotháin atá “ag titim as a chéile” agus Rang 5, 6 agus 7 á múineadh i seomra an cheaintín.
D’aontaigh an tAire Oideachais ag an am, John O'Dowd ó Shinn Féin, i mí na Nollag 2015 go dtiocfadh leis an scoil aistriú chuig seansuíomh na scoile stáit áitiúil, ach cuireadh moill ar an scéim faoin Aire DUP Peter Weir roimh do Stormont titim go luath sa bhliain 2017.
Deir an Roinn anois nach dtig leo an t-aistriú a mhaoiniú.
Tá tuismitheoir le duine de dhaltaí na scoile ag bagairt dlí ardchúirte a chur ar an Roinn.
Bunscoil an Traonaigh, Lios na Scéithe.
Tá Bunscoil an Traonaigh ag fás agus líon na ndaltaí ardaithe ó 12 nuair a osclaíodh an scoil in 2004 go 60 nuair a chuirfear tús leis an bhliain scoile 2018/19 i Meán Fómhair.
Ach nuair a thug The Detail agus Meon Eile cuairt ar Bhunscoil an Traonaigh ag deireadh mhí an Mheithimh, léiríonn an físeán thíos an droch-bhail atá ar an lóistín sealadach.
Tá trí sheomra ranga shealadacha ag an scoil agus is ceaintín ceann acu sin le Rang 5, 6 agus 7 á múineadh ann.
Is clós súgartha na ndaltaí an carrchlós.
Dúirt Príomhoide Bhunscoil an Traonaigh, Sorcha Ní Mhurchú, le The Detail agus Meon Eile: “Ní féidir linn fanacht ar an suíomh go fadtéarmach mar go bhfuil na botháin ina bhfuil muid ag titim as a chéile go bunusach.
“Tá Rang 5, 6, 7 istigh sa seomra dinnéir. Ciallaíonn sé sin go gcaithfidh muid na táblaí a chur ar shiúl achan lá agus iad a chur amach arís nuair atá am dinnéir thart.
“Fiú ar maidin nuair atá na tuismitheoirí ag fágail na bpáistí isteach ar scoil níl spás againn amuigh sa chlós do na tuismitheoirí teacht isteach agus na páistí a fhágail go sábhailte.
“Tá sé iontach scanrúil nach bhfuil dul chun cinn ar bith ag tarlú maidir leis an suíomh nua go fóill.
“Má bhogann muid chuig an suíomh nua beidh fás ar Ghaeloideachas i bhFear Manach.”
Dúirt an tAire ó Shinn Féin sa bhliain 2015 i gcomhfhreagras leis an scoil, atá feicthe ag The Detail agus Meon Eile “the current premises occupied by Bunscoil an Traonaigh is not suitable for the permanent location of the school and this new site at the former Lisnaskea High School will allow the school to grow and develop”.
Anois tá sé curtha i leith na Roinne gur sháraigh siad an dualgas atá orthu faoi Airteagal 89 den Ord Oideachais (TÉ) 1998 chun scolaíocht lán-Ghaeilge a chothú agus a éascú.
Tá dualgas cosúil ann d’oideachas imeasctha.
Dúirt an Roinn Oideachais gurb é aistriú Bhunscoil an Traonaigh chuig seansuíomh Ardscoil Lios na Scéithe an seasamh atá acu go fóill ach “against a constrained capital budget position, funding is not currently available to progress the school’s relocation in the short term”.
Ardscoil Lios na Scéithe.
MOILLEANNA
Chuir The Detail iarratas saorála faisnéise chuig an Roinn Oideachais maidir le hathúsáid shuíomh Ardscoil Lios na Scéithe, scoil ar a raibh móramh de dhaltaí ó chúlra Protastúnach ag freastal, ach a dhruid in 2013 le 107 dalta agus easnamh suntasach.
De bharr an iarratais saorála faisnéise, chuir an Roinn os cionn 100 leathanach de ríomhphoist, litireacha, meamraim agus comhairle aire ar aghaidh.
Tháinig fiosrúchan The Detail ar mhion-chaipéisíocht ó mhí na Nollag 2015 go Meán Fómhair 2017 a léiríonn gur cuireadh bac ar bhogadh na bunscoile mar gheall ar shraith de mhoilleanna nach raibh aon smacht acu féin orthu.
D’fhógair an tAire Oideachais John O’Dowd a chinneadh suíomh Ardscoil Lios na Scéithe a roinnt idir an bhunscoil agus an South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF).
An cur síos atá ag SEFF ar a suíomh gréasáin ná grúpa d’íospartaigh/daoine a tháinig slán ó sceimlitheoireacht in Oirdheisceart Fhear Manach.
Ina measc siúd a cháin an t-aistiú suímh bhí Peter Weir ón DUP, a bhí mar chathaoirleach ar Choiste Oideachais Stormont ag an am, a dúirt: “The latest decision to allow a school with only 40 pupils to use the old Lisnaskea High School site would be laughable if it were not so serious. It is a costly division of resources from a hard-pressed education system.”
Peter Weir agus Arlene Foster. Press Eye.
Léiríonn comhfhreagras rialtais leathan atá faighte ag The Detail go ndearna Peter Weir iniúchadh ar an cheist i ndiaidh dó a bheith ceaptha mar Aire Oideachais.
Déanann oifigigh tagairt don “minister’s request to pause to look for other options”.
Fosta, léiríonn comhfhreagras idir oifigigh agus Comhairleoir Speisialta Peter Weir iarrachtaí teacht ar shuíomhanna eile a d’fhéadfadh a úsáid.
Moladh suíomh eile in Knocks, atá ceithre mhíle taobh amuigh de Lios na Scéithe ar bhóthar tuaithe.
Is é tuairim na scoile féin go mbeadh sé mar “significant backward step” a bheith in áit níos iargúlta arís.
Bunscoil Chaitliceach Naomh Eugene a bhí ar an suíomh sin roimhe sin a dhruid in 2013 mar gheall gur thit líon na ndaltaí go 20.
Ní leis an Údarás Oideachais an suíomh sin.
Bunscoil Naomh Eugene, Knocks.
Ach léiríonn an comhfhreagras gur léirigh SEFF imní leis an Aire agus baill eile den DUP, an t-iar-Chéad-Aire Arlene Foster ina measc.
Is cosúil ón chomhfhreagras gur shíl SEFF go bhfaighfeadh siad an suíomh iomlán agus cháin siad an plean an suíomh a roinnt.
I litir ón 13 Nollaig 2016 dúirt an tAire Oideachais Peter Weir le stiúrthóir SEFF Kenny Donaldson, gur admhaigh sé go raibh ceist shuíomh Ardscoil Lios na Scéithe “an extremely emotive issue for the organisation and the wider community”.
Scríobh Peter Weir: “The legacy of the past has always been at the forefront of my mind throughout this process. I did therefore explore potential alternative accommodation options for both parties, however following review of a number of alternative sites in and around the Lisnaskea area the former High School site (or a portion thereof) remained the best option for the school. In addition, given the department’s policy of prioritising educational requirements when sites become available and our legal duties under Article 89 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, I have no other option but to allocate a portion of the site to Bunscoil an Traonaigh.”
Ag freagairt Peter Weir agus an Chéad-Aire Arlene Foster ar an 14 Nollaig 2016, cháin cathaoirleach SEFF Eric Brown cinneadh John O’Dowd, agus scríobh sé: “The Protestant community of south Fermanagh feel absolutely betrayed throughout this process and cannot understand how this decision could not have been taken away politically”.
D’iarr Eric Brown cruinniú práinneach le “you both as First Minister and Education Minister” chomh maith leis an Aire Pobal ag an am, Paul Givan ón DUP.
Dúirt litir chuig an bhunscoil i Márta 2017 ó oifigeach a bhí ag gníomhú don Aire Weir - a bhí mar Aire go fóill roimh an toghchán tobann i ndiaidh do Stormont titim – go gcuirfeadh an tÚdarás Oideachais moill ar chinneadh faoin suíomh go dtí an 31 Nollaig 2017 “to allow time for the community organisation working with the Department for Communities (DfC) to complete the necessary business case and approvals process.”
D’aontaigh an Roinn Pobal go mbeadh siad mar fhoras urraíochta do SEFF agus bhí Castle Balfour Development Trust ag déanamh ionadaíocht ar a gcuid miantaí.
Ach i litir eile seolta ar an lá céanna chuig SEFF, deir an Roinn: “Although Paragraph 6.7 of the LPS guidance on the disposal of public sector property recommends that a prospective acquiring body must have all necessary approvals and the business case in place to enable the transfer to be completed within a six month period of declaring a firm interest in the property, the minister has agreed that the EA will defer disposal of this asset to 31 December 2017. This will allow time for you to work with DfC...”
Ag freagairt an chinnidh chun moill a chur ar an phróiseas, dúirt bord gobharnóirí Bhunscoil an Traonaigh: “We have discussed the issue as a board and there does not appear to be any sound reason that we can see why both transactions need to be carried out at the same time... As you work for the department of Education, surely the needs of a school on a site that is designated for educational purposes must take priority over the needs of any other group not involved in the delivery of education in the north of Ireland.”
FREAGRA
Ag freagairt ceisteanna The Detail maidir le Bunscoil an Traonaigh, dúirt urlabhra na Roinne: “In the absence of an Executive the Department of Education is continuing to progress policies and decisions taken by the previous Minister.
“Before leaving office, the previous Minister was clear that the Lisnaskea High School site should be split to allocate a portion for use by Bunscoil an Traonaigh.
“That remains the Department’s current position. However against a constrained capital budget position, funding is not currently available to progress the school’s relocation in the short term.
“Department is aware of its statutory duty to encourage and facilitate the development of Irish-medium education and work is progressing to provide additional modular accommodation on the school’s current site for September 2018. This will enable the school to accommodate an increase in pupil numbers in the interim.
“This was planned to be on site in September however delays in obtaining planning permission may result in some slippage to this date.”
Dúirt An Roinn Pobal gur “agreed to sponsor South East Fermanagh Foundation’s proposal under Community Asset Transfer to explore securing part of the former Lisnaskea High School site for community use. The department has worked with SEFF in developing potential options for their proposal and to date has received no indication from SEFF that it has withdrawn its proposals.”
Dúirt stiúrthóir SEFF Kenny Donaldson le The Detail go bhfuil siad go fóill páirteach sa phróiseas agus "discussions are still ongoing from our perspective".
Tá sé ráite ag Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta (InaG) agus Conradh na Gaeilge (CnaG) beirt go raibh “delay and prevarication” i gcoinne na scoile ann agus tá sé curtha i leith na Roinne acu gur sháraigh siad a ndualgas dlíthiúil.
Dúirt Príomhfheidhmeannach Iontabhas na Gaelscolaíochta Pilib Ó Ruanaí:
“Tá sé samhnasach go fírinne an dóigh ar caitheadh leis an scoil seo. Daoine nach raibh aon chlár eile ar siúl acu ach amháin oideachas a chur ar fáil do pháistí. An t-oideachas is fearr a chur ar fáil dá bpáistí.
“Ba chóir go mbeadh an suíomh seo aistrithe gan mhoill don scoil agus ba chóir go mbeadh scéim cóiríochta ann mar is ceart a oireann don scoil.”
Dúirt Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin ó Chonradh na Gaeilge: “Ag deireadh an lae baineann seo le daoine óga, baineann seo le páistí agus tá dualgas cúraim againne ar fad do na páistí seo agus an caighdeán oideachais atá á sholáthar daofa. Agus sin na híospartaigh. Sin na daoine atá thíos leis. Sin na daoine atá ina suí inniu i mbothán seachas a bheith i scoil cheart atá tuillte acu.”
Dhiúltaigh an DUP aon ráiteas a thabhairt.
Is féidir scéal The Detail a léamh i mBéarla anseo.