Dr. Patrick Sullivan:

Yes, and that is a critical point. Time does not equal quality of teaching. The quality of teaching and learning in the classroom is paramount. The competence and confidence of our teachers in the Irish language, how Irish is valued within the school, within the community and within peer groups within schools are critical factors to seeing the usefulness of language. The Deputy mentioned MFL. One of the things we have noticed about international newcomers coming into our classrooms is that when other languages are in the classroom, the Irish children see the value of their own domestic language in comparison with the languages coming into the classroom, and that actually enhances the language learning in the classroom for many children.