Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Chun é sin a chur i gcrích, tá roinnt rudaí déanta againne. Ar an gcéad dul síos, the Gaeltacht education unit has been established in the Department. There is also the Gaeltacht recognition scheme. Ms Nic Dhoinnléibhe may well come in on this. At present there are in and around 103 primary schools, to my understanding, and 29 post-primary schools involved in that scheme. The validation process has commenced by the inspectorate and that is due to be completed by Easter of 2024. There is also the establishment of specific Irish education teacher programmes, for example the bachelor of education through Irish in Marino Institute of Education. This year we have doubled the places available on that course to promote it. Then there is the master of education and funding has been made available for that as well.

I am sure the Deputy is aware of this but we have also introduced the e-hub, which has been quite an innovative initiative from the Department. There are students in nine post-primary schools located in the Gaeltacht studying for the leaving certificate, in particular physics and chemistry, via the hub.