Dáil debates

Thursday, 29 September 2022

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Irish Language

11:00 am

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her strategy to support and encourage greater use of the Irish language; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47368/22]

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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People always confuse the two of us, so I am glad to see the continuation of that. Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an Aire Stáit mar gheall ar an straitéis chun tacú le cothú an teanga go náisiúnta.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Tá an cheist seo i mBéarla mar sin tá an freagra i mBéarla. The 20-year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010—2030 represents the State's policy in relation to the language. The strategy has cross-departmental ownership and, accordingly, responsibility for its implementation rests with several Departments, in addition to Irish-language and Gaeltacht institutions and organisations. My Department is responsible for co-ordinating the implementation of the strategy.

To accelerate implementation, my Department published a five-year action plan for the language in June 2018 following a public consultation process and extensive engagement with key stakeholders. It contains more than 180 actions to be implemented over a five-year period by around 60 stakeholders across each of the nine areas of action set out in the strategy. The plan provides for a more efficient framework that supports the ongoing implementation of the strategy and is focused on specific, measurable and time-bound activities. The plan also serves to stimulate more efficient and effective participation with the overall objectives of the Government in relation to the Irish language in the context of the 20-year strategy.

In line with a commitment made when the plan was first published, the Government publishes annually an implementation report covering all of the aforementioned actions contained in the action plan. Further details of significant advances being made across Government in support of the Irish language can be found on my Department's websites. Key actions include: the ongoing implementation of the language planning process under the Gaeltacht Act 2012; the ongoing implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 being spearheaded by the Department of Education; the implementation of a range of programmes by Údarás na Gaeltachta and Foras na Gaeilge aimed at strengthening the use of the language within the Gaeltacht and on an all-island basis; and the initial steps now in hand to develop a national plan for the provision of Irish-medium public services following the signing into law of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021.

I am confident that, with the additional financial allocations being provided for the language of €8.5 million, my Department and other stakeholders will be enabled to take further significant strides in advancing implementation of the plan to the overall benefit of the Irish language and Gaeltacht regions.

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the €8.5 million the Minister of State mentioned for the Irish language and Gaeltacht. I will pick up on two points mentioned in an straitéis 20 bliain. The first, which I again welcome, is the establishment of Cúla4, the TG4 channel for kids. This meets objective No. 9 in an straitéis, which is to ensure we will support "High quality broadcast services through the medium of Irish...". It is good to see this specific objective is being met. I turn to objective No. 7 as well, however, and this is something we need to work on. Perhaps the Minister of State could work on it in conjunction with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. I was out in my front garden at the weekend with my child who attends a naíonra. He picked up what turned out to be a dead leaf, but in his imagination it was a féileacán. For a three-year-old to come in and to use that kind of terminology and those words, which he has obviously picked up at the naíonra, shows the good work those schools do. Will the Minister of State comment on whether any additional funding will be available to naíonraí, above that which normal, English-language schools receive? My understanding is that there is not, and I think this is something worth considering.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. The development and support of naíonraí is a key part of the 20-year strategy. The ongoing development of those schools will be extremely important in the context of funding increases and the development of the language. We have a plan with Údarás na Gaeltachta, in partnership with community organisations, to continue the development of naíonraí across the country. I will revert to the Deputy on the specific question regarding the announcement made by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and provide further detail.

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I would appreciate that. As I said, the naíonraí do brilliant work, like most of our childcare providers. Given they have extra requirements, however, including ensuring their staff are qualified and competent in teaching Irish and instructing in Irish, might an extra increment be applied to their capitation or can anything else be done in this regard? This is something we must examine to ensure we can manage to nurture and foster this positive outlook among people seeking to acquire Irish at a young age. I questioned that childcare provider and, to my knowledge, no funding is being received specifically to allow staff to go and improve their own language skills. They are dealing with children. Therefore, I encourage the Minister of State to talk to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to determine if this is something that can be explored.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I will engage with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. Especially with the new Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, and in the context of trying to strengthen the language across the public services, the State's investment in childcare demonstrates it is playing a much larger role in the pre-school sector than it may have in the past. From pre-school and all the way through to primary and second levels, we must ensure language development from a continuous professional development, CPD, perspective is strengthened. My Department will engage with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister, Deputy Foley, on continuing to strengthen the quality of language upskilling and training to ensure there are more opportunities from a professional perspective for teachers and those wishing to upskill in the language. This is important from a pre-school perspective as well.