Dr. Joseph Ryan:

I thank Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan for his questions. I will comment on just a few points and allow others to come in. Regarding the Irish language, I wonder whether the problem is focused on education or if there is a much broader issue that we must examine. I refer to the context and use of the language. Senator Mullen talked about the incentivised aspect and mention was also made of the use of the language. Deputy Conway-Walsh spoke about the love of the language. That is the important point. I was taken by an interview I heard with An tUachtarán yesterday morning on the deaths of Brendan Kennelly and Máire Mhac an tSaoi. He talked about Ms Mhac an tSaoi's passion for the language. Irish was how she expressed what she really believed. It was not just that the language is a beautiful thing and our heritage, but that it is appropriate for and connected to us. Our sense, however, as the Deputy said, of the language from the education system is of it being utilitarian and a bit of a drag, to be honest. That point brings us back to questions regarding the beauty of Irish and how we might think about that perspective. Equally, there is the aspect of how we might use the language.

I have spent a fair amount of my time assisting people in things like programme development for third level. One of the big issues, and this goes back to a comment from Senator Mullen, is the challenge of what to leave out in developing the content of such programmes. There is a desire to have many elements in such programmes. It is not a case of adding on different modules because of a need to have certain skills. Senator Mullen spoke about the skills we are missing. What is being attempted is trying to add those skills in as an integrated part of a programme. I refer to capabilities such as software skills, team working, interpersonal skills, etc. Those elements are not intended to form part of a distinct module but to be built into the rest of the programme. The reason I mention that point in this context, in responding to the question from Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan, is that from the perspective of students, and we spoke of a student-centric approach being at the heart of this endeavour, if they are not seeing the beauty of the language and the utility of the language, then I do not think that any number of incentives will change the situation. Again, as a former Irish teacher, the Deputy will doubtlessly have his own views on this issue.