Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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70. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for a progress update on the programme for Government commitment to provide a comprehensive policy for the Irish language from pre-primary education to teacher education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30486/24]

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for coming back to this question. I was detained at the meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts. Leanann an cheist seo an pointe atá ardaithe ag an Teachta Wynne. Táim ag cur ceist ar an Aire maidir leis an ngealltanas atá sa chlár Rialtais maidir le polasaí cuimsitheach don Ghaeilge ón réamhscolaíocht go dtí oiliúint múinteoirí. There is a need for a comprehensive policy on Irish language education covering preschool through to tertiary education and teacher education. Will the Minister provide an update in this regard?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is taking a staged approach to developing a comprehensive policy for the Irish language from preschool through to teacher education. There are three strands to this work as it relates to the Department of Education, namely the policy on Gaeltacht education, the policy on Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht, and the work commencing on a policy framework and action plan to support Irish in English-medium schools.

Significant progress has been made by my Department in implementing the policy on Gaeltacht education. Since its publication, the policy has contributed to strengthening the delivery of Irish-medium education in Gaeltacht areas. Substantial support has been provided to Gaeltacht schools through the Gaeltacht school recognition scheme. Language-based criteria are set out for schools within the scheme to ensure they are providing a high standard of education through the medium of Irish. An Irish-medium bachelor of education, BEd and masters in education, MEd, in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht education have been established under the policy.

The new policy on Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht will build on the achievements of the policy on Gaeltacht education. In developing this new policy, a public consultation process was conducted to gather the views of stakeholders. SEALBHÚ, a research centre in Dublin City University, DCU, has carried out an analysis of the information gathered throughout the consultation. SEALBHÚ was also commissioned to undertake a review of international literature focusing on teaching through minority languages. Insights gleaned from the consultation process and the research undertaken will inform the development of the new policy on Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht.

A new unit was recently established within my Department with a remit relating to the Irish language in English-medium schools. The policy framework and action plan to be developed by the new unit will address particular key strategic challenge points where immediate and tangible action is likely to make a difference within a reasonable period. The policy framework and action plan will be informed by national and international research and by extensive consultation with stakeholders at national and school level.

In parallel to the work being carried out by my Department, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is currently developing a national plan on Irish language provision in early learning care and school-age childcare. The Departments are working closely together to ensure all policies are in alignment. Taken together, these policies and initiatives are important steps towards achieving our programme for Government commitment.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I thank the Minister for the update on progress. The clock is ticking. This was one of the programme for Government commitments I was passionate about including. I would like to see the process conclude within the lifetime of the Government. There certainly is a need for it. Deputy Wynne spoke about the need for a Gaelscoil in her area. Deputy Costello, my party colleague, often raises the need for a Gaelscoil to serve Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8. There is a difficulty in establishing new Gaelscoileanna when new school projects are put out for expressions of public interest in regard to patronage. Often, the need for a Gaelscoil in an area gets drowned out by the need for a multidenominational school.

I am conscious of the spriocanna san Acht teanga ó thaobh earcaíochta de. There is a requirement that 20% of new recruits to the public service have a certain standard of Irish. We need to ensure our education system contributes to achieving that target.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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There is a significant commitment from the Department to progressing and supporting the growth of the Irish language. We have deemed it necessary to take a staged approach to this objective. We began with the policy on Gaeltacht education, on which significant progress has been made, including the development of the BEd and MEd, support for international research and supports for schools in obtaining their Gaeltacht recognition certificates. There has been a phenomenal uptake by schools of all of that.

The second stage has been the development of a new unit within the Department of Education that is dedicated to the development of Irish in English-medium schools. The fact we have developed a unit specifically dedicated to that purpose shows our commitment in this regard.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I thank the Minister. I have not heard a timeline as to when we hope to have this work concluded. Is it overly ambitious to think it will be concluded within the lifetime of this Government? I acknowledge that there was a need to separate the strands and make progress on them individually. I support that mode of working, but I would like to know if we have a timeline in place for when we expect the process to be completed.

Returning to the recruitment targets, I would like to see the common European framework used more within our schools. Something I would love to see at transition year level is the teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, TEG, Maynooth University is putting place. We could have that rolled out to people in order that they know where they are on the ladder. It would be extremely beneficial for recruitment down the road. I would love to see the Irish language included in the terms of reference of a citizens' assembly on education, which, as the Minister will know, is the subject matter of another question I tabled that will not be reached today. The date is the key thing. I would like to know when this is going to happen.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó Cathasaigh as an gceist seo a ardú. It brings me back to something that was discussed at the comhchoiste Gaeilge yesterday about ensuring that people we employ to deal with schools in the Gaeltacht and with Gaelcholaistí are proficient in the Irish language. There should be an onus on those advertising jobs to include a requirement in respect of the Irish language. Bhí plé inné ag an gcomhchoiste Gaeilge maidir leis na daoine atá ag plé le scoileanna sa Ghaeltacht agus i nGaelcholáistí go mbeadh Gaeilge riachtanach nuair atá an earcú á dhéanamh. Tá sé sin fíorthábhachtach mar más Gaelcholáiste é nó má tá an scoil sa Ghaeltacht, is pobal Gaeilge é sin agus ba chóir go mbeadh chuile shórt agus chuile dhuine atá ag déileáil leis na scoileanna sin ag labhairt i nGaeilge.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Tuigim an tábhacht atá ag baint leis an nGaelainn. Ní hamháin sin ach táimid ag déanamh gach iarracht sa Roinn an Ghaelainn a chaomhnú agus í a chur chun cinn. I have already outlined our support to ensure we are progressing the Irish language. We took the staged stance here. Great progress has been made on the provision of Irish within the Gaeltacht areas. We have, as has been outlined, the need for very strong fluency. We have the BEd, the MEd and the teaching resources that are being provided for the máistir gairmiúil san oideachas, the professional MEd. A significant number of schools have been awared Gaeltacht recognition status.

The second stage is the unit in the Department dedicated to the promotion of Irish in English-medium schools. That is focused on how to support teachers teaching Irish in English-medium schools. The unit will also look at how to support undergraduates, which is important, in the learning and, ultimately, the teaching of Irish. There will be a public consultation on that in the coming year. The final point is the other aspect of concerning preschool and early years is a matter for the Department of children. We are working very closely with it and it is doing a body of work on that as well.