Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Few subjects over the generations have been the target of so much hypocrisy and lip service as the Irish language. I want to ask the Taoiseach a question about this today. While respecting the Taoiseach's improvements in spoken Irish, I will ask the question in English.

In 1924, the then Minister for Education, Deputy Mulcahy, introduced a scheme whereby Irish was to become the spoken language of the people. By 1930 it was obvious that this was going to fail. In 1934 compulsion was introduced for the Irish language. In 1973 the compulsion element was removed so that students might pass the leaving certificate, which was very important. While it is still compulsory for students to study Irish language classes for the leaving certificate, it is not compulsory to sit the examination, however.

The Coimisinéir Teanga in his report estimates that €500 million a year is being spent on teaching the language. He estimates that every child from primary certificate to leaving certificate gets 1,500 hours of tuition in the language. He points out clearly that most young people leave school without any reasonable command of Irish, despite the innovative methods available today.

Department of Education and Science statistics show that fewer young people who learn Irish attempt the honours leaving certificate paper as compared to student performances in any other language. Census 2002 showed that in the vast majority of cases, as soon as students finish the leaving certificate, they leave Irish behind them. In the last census only 70,000 people said they used it on a daily basis. I want to do something about this and it is time that politically we take it by the scruff of the neck and reform the situation from top to bottom.

Does the Taoiseach as Head of Government, honestly believe that the compulsion element to what now exists actually assists in the learning of Irish and puts sufficient emphasis on it as a spoken language? Does it do anything to encourage students who sit in classes from junior certificate to leaving certificate, to become involved with their native tongue?

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