Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

It is great the Minister has agreed to come to a consensus view and accept the suggestion. I will have to have a considered discussion with my colleagues about this. I have learned a good deal from the discussion.

It is absolutely critical that we consider those people who make a significant effort to achieve fluency, including the many people who may not speak it in the home but are nonetheless very passionate about trying to achieve fluency and some of the new immigrant communities. It is absolutely wonderful that they are taking up the Irish language. We do not want to do anything that would discriminate against, inhibit or obstruct those communities from participating fully in Irish language education.

On the other hand, however, I see the logic of trying to see what we can do to ensure that people who speak the language at home with their parents would not regress in their fluency because they are not in an Irish language school. It is a tricky balance. The main point is that all Members are committed to trying to do the right things and not come up with any provisions that are exclusionary. If the will is there and if there is engagement with the relevant stakeholders then some arrangement can be agreed when the Bill goes to the Seanad.

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