Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to provide ring-fenced funding for the provision of additional courses in third level colleges in cases in which the tuition would be through the medium of Irish to ensure there will be sufficient persons available with third level qualifications to meet the likely requirements of the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25445/21]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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This question is very simple. Is it intended to provide ring-fenced funding to the Higher Education Authority, HEA, to ensure more courses are taught through the medium of Irish? I am not talking about courses teaching Irish but about courses provided at third level through the medium of Irish. There will be a demand for people who are qualified professionally in Irish or through the medium of Irish because of the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019 Bill, which is going through the Oireachtas at the moment. What provision is being made with the Minister's Department to ensure we will have the graduates to provide these services?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. On foot of this question, I have specifically asked my Department to engage with me directly and with the HEA on this matter. I assure the Deputy that my Department is committed to the implementation of the Official Languages Act and the provision of Irish language services to its customers. The Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019 is of high importance to Ireland and the life of the language in this country. It will ensure that Irish speakers can interact with the Government and access public services through a high standard of Irish.

There is already a broad range of courses available in Irish in higher education institutions. Under the advanced Irish language strategic initiative, funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, there are eight courses available in five different institutions. There were a total of 73 students enrolled in these courses in 2019-20. Since 2015, 9,286 students have been enrolled in higher education courses on the Irish language or conducted through Irish. The number of students enrolled has increased by 19% since 2015.

In 2019-20, 127 courses were available with 1,799 students enrolled in courses on the Irish language or conducted through Irish, though the Deputy has differentiated between those two types of course. These courses encompass a broad range of topics, many of which would provide graduates with the qualifications to meet the likely requirements of the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019. As is the case in planning for meeting any specific skill or education needs in the workforce, the approach must be guided by evaluation and analysis of the relevant need. As set out, there is currently significant provision of Irish language training. In supporting the achievement of the objectives of the Official Languages Act, my Department is open to considering the outcome of any evidence-based review that examines how this supply aligns with current and future demand. I would be very happy to engage bilaterally with the Deputy on this matter and to arrange for both of us to meet with the HEA.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his offer of engaging with me bilaterally and I will certainly take him up on it. I listened to his reply but we are a long way from where we need to be. I have a pragmatic and practical view of this. It is worth noting that NUI Galway, or UCG as it was at the time, was only kept in the 1920s to provide an Irish language university. Even into the 1960s most of the professors had the capability of teaching a wide range of subjects through Irish and there was quite a bit of educating through Irish going on. As the Minister knows, there has been a huge growth in Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí at second level but regression has happened over 40 years at third level, and even over the last ten years there has been regression in the scope and number of Irish language courses available. How many students are in third level education in the whole country? That should be measured against the figure of 73 the Minister gave. If he could tell me how many students are in third level education we would get an idea of how minuscule Irish language provision is.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy may have a fair idea of the answer to his question. It is always a good question to ask. There are around 200,000 students enrolled in higher education in Ireland now, which is up from 20,000 in 1971. I take the Deputy's point. However, I would also make the point that the figure of 73 does not tell the full story in any way, manner or means. I think he would agree with me on that. The Deputy is a passionate advocate for our official language. He makes a very interesting point about the development, progression and expansion of Irish language primary and secondary schools in recent decades and years. We have seen a very significant increase in the number of students enrolling in Irish language courses and courses provided through the Irish language at third level. I stated that the number of students enrolled in either higher education courses on the Irish language or conducted through Irish has increased by 19% but the Deputy is making a distinction between courses conducted through Irish and courses on the Irish language. I would be very happy to engage with him and to explore the matter of supply and demand from students leaving secondary school for accessing higher education in Irish. I will arrange that meeting with him in the coming weeks.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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When we engage with this issue we will do so at three levels: courses through Irish; courses teaching the Irish language; and courses in professional Irish for certain occupations. For example, GPs, veterinary surgeons, nurses, speech therapists and all the other practical professions working in the Gaeltacht would need to know the language of their profession as well as a general competence in the language. I accept that the Minister is positive about this matter. Can he give me some indication of when we might engage bilaterally in order that we could move this forward? Are discussions taking place between his Department and the Department responsible for the Gaeltacht on this issue?. One of the fears I have from past experience is that we will bring in a law but will not be able to implement it without a total co-ordinated cross-Government approach.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I will not give the Deputy the date and the time of the meeting but I will certainly give him the month. I would be very happy to meet with him on this matter in the month of June. He should have his office contact mine today and I am sure we can identify a date and time, put that date in the diary for June and engage on the issue.

As regards specific engagements, I do not have all my Department's meeting schedules in front of me but I have no doubt that, as my response stated, my Department stands fully ready to discharge all our obligations under the Official Languages Act and the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019. We will engage with all relevant Departments and agencies in that regard. We will substantially engage on this matter with my officials and the Higher Education Authority in June. I look forward to learning from the Deputy and working with him on this issue.