Terms & Conditions – Coláiste na bhFiann Summer Courses

Introduction

Welcome to the Coláiste na bhFiann online website (“website”). By accessing our website, browsing our website, purchasing or making bookings from our website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and fully accept our Terms and Conditions as detailed here. These Terms and Conditions have been compiled to assist our clients in getting the most they can from using the services of Coláiste na bhFiann. Our Terms and Conditions may change over time.

General

The Terms and Conditions at time of booking apply. Revised Terms and Conditions apply to subsequent bookings. Coláiste na bhFiann has no liability in respect of the content of other websites that are linked to https://www.cnb.ie/ These provisions (terms, conditions, disclaimers and exclusions) shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Ireland. If any of these provisions are deemed or found to be unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable then the provision or provisions so found shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.

Information meeting

Before attending a Coláiste na bhFiann course, each student, accompanied by at least one parent/legal guardian, must attend an information meeting. This involves an assessment and an informative talk. It is necessary to attend the meeting for the full duration. Our experience has shown that the time spent at this stage proves invaluable to both students and parents. It enables us to assess each student’s standard of Irish while giving both parent and child an insight into all aspects of a Coláiste na bhFiann course. Any queries a parent may have will be discussed along with the student’s personal, dietary and/or medical issues, where applicable.

As it has been three years since Coláiste na bhFiann has run any courses, all students will be required to attend this meeting. A prerequisite for attending a Coláiste na bhFiann course in 2023 is learning Amhrán na bhFiann (first verse and chorus) for the information meeting. Acceptance onto the course is dependent on successfully completing the assessment at the information meeting. A refund of deposit (minus a €10 administrative charge) will be available up to 7 days after the information meeting in the following circumstances:

• In the event that the assessor feels that the course would be too challenging for the student
• Should the parent decide for any reason not to continue with the application.

Medical & Personal Information

In your child’s interests Coláiste na bhFiann should be informed of any of the following:

Medical Information

• Illnesses, medical conditions (Hay fever, Asthma, etc.)
• Medications (All)
• Dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, etc.)
• Allergies (food, medicine etc.)

Parents will be invoiced for any doctor / hospital visits / prescriptions necessary for the student while on the course.

Personal information

• Special Educational needs (e.g. Dyslexia, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Hearing/Visual Impairment etc.)
• Family Circumstances (unemployment, separation, divorce, bereavement, illness, etc.)
• Any other information that you may feel is beneficial for our team to know, so that we can look after your son/daughter in the best possible way.

Fees

Payments are only accepted through our online booking system. All payments can be made by Debit/Credit. Unfortunately prepaid credit cards are not accepted through our booking system (Stripe). Fees and prices are subject to change without notice. Fee at time of booking applies. The course fee includes accommodation, meals, tuition, 24 hour supervision and daily course activities. All students attending Coláiste na bhFiann will receive a discount voucher to become a member of Cumann na bhFiann, our nationwide youthclub service.

There may be a number of items on offer during the course at an additional cost such as Coláiste na bhFiann merchandise, kayaking, sweet shop, etc. These are the only additional costs on the course and are completely optional.

The balance of the fee is paid after the information meeting by logging into the parent’s account on cnb.ie. Failure to pay the balance of fee on time may result in cancellation of the booking. If there is a waiting list on the course, this place may be offered to those on it.

A deposit is not required for students on waiting lists. Should a place become available a deposit will be required, within 3 days, to secure the booking.

Cancellations and Refunds

• All cancellations and changes must be received by email to eolas@cnb.ie. Coláiste na bhFiann does not accept responsibility for courses that are cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. In the event of a course being cancelled or that suitable accommodation is not available a full refund will be provided.
• A refund of deposit will be available up to 7 days after the Information meeting (excluding a €10 administration charge).
• All other cancellations are subject to €100 administration fee up to 1 May. Late cancellations (after 1st of May) will forfeit full deposit (€300).
• Cancellations within 21 days prior to the chosen course will forfeit full fee. All late applications will be subject to our cancellation policy.

Course Attendance

Coláiste na bhFiann reserves the right of attendance on our courses. At least one parent/legal guardian must accompany the student to the course on the first day at a set time. Likewise a parent/legal guardian must collect the student at the set time on the final day of the course. Coláiste na bhFiann do not organise transportation to/from the course on the first/last day of the course. Coláiste na bhFiann is responsible for the students from the time they arrive at the college until the time they leave. The duration of our 2023 courses is 20 days and 20 nights. Each student must be available to attend the course for the full duration. Students are not permitted to leave the course at any time other than as specified during visitation. Friends and family members will not be housed together under any circumstances.

Visits

Visits, if required, take place on Sundays at set times (after lunch). Students may not leave the area of the College with relatives or friends, other than their parents/legal guardians without written permission from the parents/legal guardians and only at the set visiting times.

Students who are not receiving a visit have the opportunity to receive a phone call from home, if necessary on Sunday. This should be pre-arranged with the Bainisteoir in advance the day before. Special activities are arranged for those students remaining in the college during these times.

Personal Items / Insurance

Whereas Coláiste na bhFiann has full Public Liability insurance, the cost would be prohibitive to provide Public Liability insurance for students’ personal belongings e.g. musical instruments, sports equipment, jewellery and designer labelled clothing. On the advice of our Insurers, we are recommending that all valuables which the students may bring with them on the course be covered under the ‘All Risks’ section of the home insurance. Musical instruments and sports equipment are the most likely items in question. We cannot guarantee that they will be locked away at all times. Each student is responsible for keeping their musical instrument in its case.

All the student’s clothing, sports equipment, musical instruments etc. should have their name stitched or labelled In Irish on them. All students will be responsible for their own personal belongings and we strongly advise that they do not lend them to other students.

Coláiste na bhFiann does not accept responsibility for any items that go missing, under any circumstances. We strongly advise that all students check their belongings before leaving the centre. Coláiste na bhFiann will not be responsible for items left behind on courses.

Items prohibited on all courses

Please note that prohibited items will be confiscated and Coláiste na bhFiann accepts no responsibility for them. It is strongly recommended that students do not bring them.

• English books / dictionaries
• Media players / electronic equipment / smartwatch
• Hair straighteners
• Aerosols
• Chewing gum
• Digital Camera (Should a student wish to bring a camera it must be a disposable one)
• Mobile Phone

You can make contact with your child at any time through the course manager. Similarly, should your child wish to contact you this can be facilitated through the manager. This mobile number will be available to you on the first day of the course.

We employ a zero tolerance policy on possession of the following items on the course, visiting times included. This policy entails instant dismissal from the course.

• Alcohol
• Cigarettes, vapes and lighters
• Drugs
• All other items prohibited by law

Behaviour

• Coláiste na bhFiann reserves the right to discipline or expel a student in the event of behaviour deemed inappropriate and/or non-compliance with our terms and conditions.
• Good conduct is expected at all times.
• Students should show respect for themselves, their fellow students, and staff at all times.
• Students must respect the property and are obliged to pay for any damages for which they are held responsible.
• All students will participate in keeping the college clean and tidy. This encourages students to take on responsibilities for the environment in which they live.
• A student(s) may not visit any other house, other than the house they have been assigned to. 
• A student(s) may not leave their house after supper (on Gaeltacht courses)
• A student(s) may not leave the limits of the college for any reason without permission

Bullying

Coláiste na bhFiann strictly adheres to the Department of Education and Science Guidelines on Countering Bullying Behaviour in Primary and Post Primary Schools (2013).

Rule regarding the speaking of English

If a student accidentally speaks English, she/he will receive a warning. If such an incident is repeated, parents will be contacted and asked to speak to their child. If she/he speaks English again, we will have no option but to send the student home. However, deliberate speaking of English will not be tolerated and any student found doing so must leave the course without warning and with no fee refund. (These rules are enforced from the time the student arrives on the course).

Appeals Procedure

In the event of a student being dismissed for breach of the language rules, Coláiste na bhFiann has an appeals procedure in place. This must be availed of immediately before the child leaves the course.

Customer Satisfaction

Coláiste na bhFiann strives to maintain high standards in all services provided. We therefore welcome all feedback, both positive and negative. Surveys are sent out on a regular basis requesting feedback on our services. In the event of you not being completely satisfied with the service Coláiste na bhFiann has provided, please notify us immediately by email. Should you become aware of an issue during the course, by letter, phone call, or during a visit, we recommend that the course manager be made aware of this immediately, so that it can be responded to immediately. 

Promotion and Publication

At all Coláiste na bhFiann events, photographs and videos are taken which may be used in promotional material. Should you wish for your child not to feature on such material, please inform us and this will be dealt with with absolute discretion.

Communications

All correspondence from Coláiste na bhFiann is sent by email. It is essential that coláiste na bhFiann is kept up-to-date with any changes to your email address. This is the same email used when registering with the cnb.ie website. It is the parents responsibility to regularly check their emails for communication regarding their booking(s). If you would prefer to receive information from us through the post, please let us know. Please ensure that we have your postal code.

All communications between Coláiste na bhFiann and the family is with the parent/legal guardian only. All students will be posting letters home during the course using the Irish version of both the child’s name, family name and address. Please ensure that your son/daughter has pre-addressed and stamped envelopes including the eircode. Please notify your postman that you will be receiving mail addressed in Irish. The use of Eircode is very helpful for the postman.