Hopes of a last-minute pre-election announcement of a Gaelscoil for Offaly were fading last night as the election campaign began to wind down. However, a decision is expected from the Department of Education within weeks.
Parents have been seeking a second-level Gaelscoil for Tullamore since the primary Gaelscoil opened in 1993, but began their campaign in earnest a year ago.
Tullamore College - the local vocational school - threw its weight behind the campaign and in January its principal, Mr Edward McEvoy, made a submission to Offaly VEC to incorporate an Irish stream into the 600-pupil college. Offaly VEC then forwarded an application to the Department of Education.
Mr McEvoy said he was keen to get immediate confirmation of the decision as the school needed time to prepare for the September enrolment. He would need a minimum of one extra teacher and a prefabricated classroom to start the unit.
Pupils would do standard subjects through Irish and would join Tullamore College pupils for option subjects such as home economics and woodwork.
Ms Máire Ní Ghrifín, acting principal at the primary Gaelscoil - Gaelscoil an Eiscir Riada - said it would be fantastic if parents had the option of continuing their children's education through Irish.
At the moment, if they wish to do so, they have to send their children to Athlone, 26 miles away.
Gaelscoil an Eiscir Riada has 191 pupils, and about 15 toddlers attend an Irish pre-school in the same building. Ms Ní Ghrifín said there was a waiting list at the school and demand for education through Irish was "huge".
One parent, Ms Sheila Maloney, said parents had been promised a second-level Gaelscoil when the primary Gaelscoil opened. Her son Andrew is in sixth class and she had hoped the school would be in place for his enrolment this September. "There are 16 pupils in Andrew's class and 12 of them want to continue through Irish."
Another son, David, is one of 26 pupils in fourth class so there would be no shortage of pupils for the Gaelscoil in the future.She said it was not fair to expect parents to send 12-year-old children on a long commute to Athlone.
"They would be setting out at 7.15 a.m. and would not be back until 5.30 p.m. They will be doing that when they go to college, but it's too much for a 12-year-old."
Ms Maloney said the cost would be minimal because Tullamore College had been so supportive.
"If you had to bus the children to and from Athlone, it would cost a lot more," she said.
A spokesman for the Department of Education said the application was still being investigated. He said officials were looking at the proximity of other Gaelscoileanna to Tullamore and the potential viability of the plan. A decision would be made "fairly soon". Asked if that would happen before the end of the school year, he said it was "very likely".