A POPULAR Irish language pre-school has been forced to start another year not knowing whether it will receive public funding.
Gaelscoil na mBeann in Kilkeel wanted to open a fully grant-aided Irish-medium nursery unit from September 1.
It remains in the dark, however, as education minister Peter Weir is yet to make a decision.
A pre-school - Naíscoil na mBeann - opened in 2007 and has offered funded places since 2009. It is housed in a mobile unit on a shared site with Gaelscoil na mBeann.
Both schools have grown in popularity - numbers at the primary have risen from 20 to 58.
While the nursery receives some government money, full grant-aided status would help it cover all staffing costs as well as being able to afford maintenance.
Recent decisions taken by Mr Weir, and which affect Irish-medium education, have angered campaigners.
They have pointed out that the DUP promised, in its assembly election manifesto, to "tackle the preferential treatment" of Irish medium.
A proposal for an Irish-medium pre-school unit at Gaelscoil na Daróige in Derry was turned down due to there being other schools nearby. The minister said opening a new nursery would "create sustainability issues".
In addition, he rejected a separate proposal for a part-time Irish-medium nursery unit at Bunscoil an Iúir in Newry.
He also said Gaelscoil an Lonnáin could not relocate to the former St Comghall's PS in west Belfast.
Gaelscoil na mBeann principal and chairman of the naiscoil committee Niall Loughran said his school was frustrated.
"We have made a big commitment in employing a fourth teacher in the school and a fully qualified teacher in the nursery for the first time," Mr Loughran said.
"We have 22 families - 18 that are new to us - in the nursery and are bona fide cross community. We feel that we are doing all we can but are not getting the same commitment being shown by the department.
"We have had zero contact or information since the proposal went into the department. It is frustrating not knowing."
Also on Mr Weir's desk is a separate proposal for a statutory Irish-medium nursery unit at Gaelscoil Éanna in Glengormley. While the objection period for that proposal ended in April, the school does not want to open its funded unit until the start of September next year.
Former minister John O'Dowd rejected an previous proposal for a naiscoil by the same school in 2011.
