Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

I assure the Deputy there is no inertia or lack of will to support young people studying the language. I was in a school yesterday and was asked this question by a student. I want students to enjoy studying the language and, most importantly, speaking it.

On the figures, it is important to say that in the 2024-25 school year, there were over 19,000 exemptions. That is higher than we would like. At the same time, given the number of Ukrainian students who have come into the system, about half of those are students who have come from abroad.

Not every Ukrainian student or anybody else coming from abroad is getting an exemption, but it is a far higher number and there are also a significant number of young people with special educational needs.

That being said, there is more we need to do. Later this week, I will publish two new strategies, one for Irish in English-medium schools and another for Irish being taught in the Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. They will be launched on Thursday of this week. The focus and the priority there is how to make sure that the language is enjoyable, that it is being taught well in the schools and that there is support for the schools. That is to build on the work that is already happening.

Work is at an advantaged stage, as I said, on the new strategy. There is an action plan for Irish in English-medium schools as well as Irish in the Gaelscoileanna and coláistí. This is supporting the work through An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, COGG, which has established a unit specifically within my Department to see how we support schools, support teachers, make sure they have the resources and make sure that Irish is being taught in a way that young people are enjoying it. That is clearly the message that I am getting through and it is something that I really want to see that we can make progress on.

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