Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

As I said initially, I must be very conscious of the advice given by the NCCA. I must also be conscious of the budgetary situation as it is estimated that to extend this initiative nationwide could cost up to €28 million. It is also worth noting that English is the most widely studied language in upper second level education across the EU other than the mother tongue. The fact that all Irish people speak English can be a disincentive to the learning of other languages, just as it is often difficult to promote the learning of languages other than English in other European member states. When English is omitted, a dramatically different picture emerges of language learning across Europe.

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