Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

The focus is on the efforts needed throughout the school system to underpin the literacy and numeracy strategy. We are facing challenging times as a country, particularly in the education sector. Given the scale of our economic crisis, adjustments had to be made across all areas of the public sector and public spending. Despite the challenge, the Government has sought to do this in as fair a way as possible. The Government had to take difficult decisions in the budget, including the decision to end this initiative. To the greatest extent possible, the Government has shielded front line services and does not plan to review the decision to end the modern languages in primary schools initiative.

See this speech in context