Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I have no plans to change the mandatory nature as it is important that people should learn their native language at all levels of the education system. On the matter of the overall environment, Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann and other language groups have made it clear that the learning of a second language in school cannot flourish in the absence of environmental supports. As any Irish speaker knows, one loses the language once one leaves the realm of always using it. Significant progress has been made in the primary school curriculum. It is an enjoyable curriculum based on oral Irish and much emphasis is placed on the positive step of speaking and listening to the language.

The inspectorate is evaluating the teaching and learning of Irish at junior certificate level in the current academic year. The inspectorate is examining a cross-sample and I look forward to its findings because it is examining the curriculum, the timetabling and the whole school support system. Speaking as an iar-múinteoir Gaeilge, there should be more emphasis on oral Irish at second level, in particular approaching the leaving certificate examination, as it is too heavily weighted on literature rather than on the language itself considering we are encouraging people to go to the Gaeltacht. There are issues that can make a difference - having materials that people can use, such as the excellent material now available for junior classes for example. The finances going into this will ensure it is improved. Having téacs leabhar for the gaeilscoileanna is another important issue.

A teacher will teach Irish as a basic language that is a part of the school day and it is, therefore, important to have a proficiency. There is a sizable difference between the honours and pass Irish levels in the leaving certificate. I am not sure that someone with a pass Irish qualification would be competent to teach it as a major subject throughout primary school. I do not know whether this is affecting the male in-take but I will examine the issue.

The figures the Deputy has raised are quite interesting. Our inspectorate has examined the primary school and junior certificate curricula. The inspectorate examined 50 schools' reports in 2002 and stated that, while the teaching of Irish was good in approximately half the schools, there are concerns about the low levels of language confidence achieved by many second level pupils. There is also a concern that Irish is not being taught through Irish at this level, and this is affecting the way people learn it.

As everyone knows, I would like to keep talking about Irish.

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