Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)

Tá sé deas é sin a chloisteáil. Tá mé thar a bheith sásta leis sin. It is important the children know that education through the medium of Irish is being taken seriously by the Government. In the previous Government, we saw a decrease in the number of children learning through the medium of Irish. It is something the Government needs to turn around. In the programme for Government, there are clear commitments to education through the medium of Irish and I like the way the Minister outlined them there. This is one of the most important things for me in my constituency but I would like to see this spread wider. I will not be so Dublin-centric. It is something the Department of Education and Youth can do, with more commitments and more construction of permanent buildings for Gaelscoileanna. In Dublin 2, 6, 4 and 8, they are looking for another Gaelscoil. I welcome the fact the Minister acknowledged that and I look forward to passing on the information to Gaelcholáiste Reachrann.

See this speech in context