Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

Did the council state why it did not recommend the expansion of the programme throughout all schools? The Minister said it does not compare to the British model and what is taking place there but other models exist throughout Europe. There is reference to a knowledge-based society and the importance of having a second or third language for skills and so on. All the literature and research has shown that the younger a child starts to learn a language, the better it works. We are lagging behind and this view is shared by many of the people involved in this initiative. The Minister should make clear whether it is a matter of money that is holding this back and, if it is simply money alone, perhaps we should consider other areas of expenditure.

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