Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is recognised that young children have a much better ability to learn languages and that this ability declines as people get older. We see that around us all the time. Children can learn two languages as easily as they can learn one if they are exposed to two languages. Is thought being given to promoting the use of Irish in all crèches and in the early school programme throughout the State? I refer to not only the Irish language facilities but all of them. It can be done through tapes and so forth so young children can be exposed to the Irish language, as well as the English language and can absorb it naturally, as children do. They are like sponges with languages.

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