Dr. Fergal Lynch:

Our focus has been on ensuring that they provide an appropriate and proper service. To be honest, we have not made the money that we are giving to them conditional on the provision of the Irish language. We have inserted in the service-level agreement with Pobal a requirement that it will have full regard to the needs of providing services in the Irish language in early years services to those who wish to avail of this, including the naíonraí and those in both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas. That is essentially our focus. The funding that we give is not conditional on the Irish language component. It is conditional on services being provided appropriately, etc.

It is important to say that, for example, where we or Pobal provide services, we would have Irish language speakers. We have confirmed that when the affordable childcare scheme, ACS, is in place, which will be next year, its helpdesk will have Irish speakers. There will be an element of an external service providing a service provider to put the ACS in place, and part of the requirement for that also is to have Irish language speakers in place. We will be able to monitor that element of the provision.