Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills an dul chun cinn atá á dheanamh le straitis don Gaolinn sac horas Oideachas in iomlán agus an ndeanfadh sí raiteas ar an abhar. [45013/23]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Tá plé le fada ar straitéis don Ghaelainn laistigh den chóras oideachais ina iomláine ón réamhscolaíocht tríd an mbunscolaíocht agus an mheánscolaíocht agus ar aghaidh chuig an tríú leibhéal. An dtabharfaidh an tAire tuairisc dúinn maidir leis an dul chun cinn atá déanta leis an straitéis sin a chur i gcrích? Cad é an scéal is déanaí maidir leis?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Ó Muimhneacháin as a cheist. Tá céimeanna glactha ag mo Roinn chun an gealltanas atá i gclár an Rialtais maidir le polasaí agus straitéis don Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais a chomhlíonadh le dúthracht. Tá an obair seo á cur chun cinn i gcomhthéacs chuspóirí na straitéise 20-bliain don Ghaeilge.

Ó foilsíodh é, tá an polasaí don oideachas Gaeltachta tar éis oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge a neartú i gceantair Ghaeltachta. Faoin bpolasaí sin, tá tacaíocht láidir tugtha ag mo Roinn do scoileanna Gaeltachta tríd an scéim aitheantais. Tá critéir theanga leagtha amach do na scoileanna chun a chinntiú go bhfuil oideachas den scoth á chur ar fáil acu trí mheán na Gaeilge. Chun tacú leis an obair seo: cuirtear deontas ar fáil dóibh chun ábhair a cheannach; faigheann siad uaireanta tacaíochta teanga don Ghaeilge bunaithe ar rollú na scoile; baineann siad leas as cuairteanna comhairleacha ón gcigireacht; agus tugann an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, COGG, tacaíocht ghairmiúil dóibh chomh maith. Tríd an tionscadal e-hub do scoileanna Gaeltachta, tá scoláirí anois ag déanamh staidéir ar an fhisic agus ar an cheimic don ardteistiméireacht trí fhoghlaim ar líne. Ní raibh sé seo ar fáil dóibh roimhe seo. Chomh maith, tá infheistíocht déanta againn faoin bpolasaí chun soláthar na múinteoirí atá in ann oibriú go héifeachtach trí Ghaeilge a mhéadú. Is féidir tionchar dearfach an pholasaí a mhothú i scoileanna agus i bpobail ar fud na Gaeltachta.

Tá obair faoi lán seoil i mo Roinn chun polasaí nua a fhorbairt don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht freisin. Tógann an polasaí nua seo ar a bhfuil bainte amach ag an bpolasaí don oideachas Gaeltachta. Is céim thábhachtach eile i dtreo cuspóirí chlár an Rialtais a bhaint amach é seo. Bunaíodh coiste stiúrtha le hionadaithe ó na Ranna agus ó na gníomhaireachtaí Rialtais chun maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar fhorbairt an pholasaí.

A public consultation process has been conducted to gather the views of stakeholders, including young people, parents, educational professionals, education stakeholders and Irish language organisations. There were three phases in the consultation comprising an online questionnaire, a call for written submissions and a series of focus groups and bilateral meetings between the Department and stakeholders.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Tá gá leis an straitéis seo. Tá sé an-tábhachtach agus is cinnte go bhfuil céimeanna dearfacha á dtógáil do na scoileanna Gaeltachta, mar a luaigh an tAire, mar aon le céimeanna éagsúla eile laistigh den chóras ach feidhmíonn na céimeanna seo mar chuid den straitéis ina iomláine. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go mbeadh straitéis iomlán ann don tslí go léir ón réamhoideachas tríd na bunscoileanna agus meánscoileanna agus ar aghaidh chuig an tríú leibhéal. Cloisim go bhfuil roinnt taighde déanta ag an Roinn ach tá sé seo ar siúl le tamall anois. An féidir é a bhrostú ar aghaidh? Cén dul chun cinn atá a dhéanamh? Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go mbeadh straitéis iomlán ann i gcomhair an chórais oideachais ar fad, is é sin, i gcomhair daltaí agus iad ag teacht tríd an tslí go léir ón réamhoideachas go dtí go gcríochnaíonn siad a gcuid oideachais. Caithfidh straitéis mar sin a chur i gcrích. An bhfuil aon amchlár nó sprioc-am ag an Aire chun é sin a bhrú ar aghaidh?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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To give some detail on what is happening in the process, which is quite involved, SEALBHÚ, the research centre in Dublin City University, DCU, is currently carrying out an analysis of all of the information that has been gathered throughout the process. The reports will be shared with the steering committee and with the interdepartmental working group in due course. A number of actions are being taken to ensure that the new policy will be informed by current research. A review of national and international literature has been commissioned through a public procurement process and is being carried out by SEALBHÚ at DCU. A report giving an overview of provision for Irish-medium education outside of Gaeltacht areas was compiled and published by the Department. Research on Irish-medium aonaid and sruthanna in English-medium schools is being carried out. Two composite reports on inspection findings on the quality of education provision in Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí were published in spring 2021. These reports provide a helpful insight into practice in schools. A report on inspection findings from visits to Irish-medium early learning and care settings is also being prepared.

I am really pleased with the level of interest that has been demonstrated in the consultation to date and with the number of responses received. I look forward to progressing the important work of strengthening Irish-medium education provision and building on the positive outcomes already being achieved in the implementation of the policy on Gaeltacht education.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Is cinnte go bhfuil céimeanna dearfacha á dtógáil. Is ceann de na céimeanna seo é an t-aitheantas do scoileanna Gaeltachta. Sna Gaeltachtaí éagsúla ar fud na tíre, tá an-chuid de na scoileanna tar éis iarratas a dhéanamh chuig an scéim agus tá siad ag obair i dtreo an stádas sin a bhaint amach. Is córas fada é an córas chun stádas mar scoil Ghaeltachta a bhaint amach agus, fiú nuair atá an chigireacht déanta, ní chloiseann an scoil ar ais. Tógann sé tréimhse mhaith ama sula bhfaightear an cháilíocht. Cén chúis leis an moill sin? Cén fáth nach bhféadfaí aitheantas a thabhairt do na scoileanna, go háirithe tar éis cigireacht dhearfach? Tá an obair déanta. Ba chóir brú ar aghaidh leis. Cad go díreach is cúis leis an moill? An bhféadfaí na cáilíochtaí sin a sheoladh ar aghaidh agus aitheantas a thabhairt do na scoileanna atá tar éis é a bhaint amach?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Tá an-dul chun cinn déanta ó thaobh aitheantais do na scoileanna Gaeltachta. As the Deputy will be aware, the validation process commenced in October 2022. Recognition as a Gaeltacht school will be awarded to a school when it is confirmed that the school's practice has been developed in accordance with the language-based criteria. As the Deputy has outlined, the process involves a visit from the inspectorate to schools participating in the scheme to assess their progress in implementing the criteria. The visit includes input from school staff, students and parents' representatives. Following the visit, the inspector writes a report on the detailed findings of the evaluation. The school is then given an opportunity to verify the facts in the report and to respond to it. It is therefore quite an involved process but it is important that, on foot of the inspectorate's visit, the school is given an opportunity to reply. It is expected that the inspectors' evaluations will be entirely completed by Easter 2024. Over half of the schools in the scheme have received an evaluation visit to date. Official recognition has not been awarded to any school yet as the process is ongoing. Schools will be contacted in due course as regards the outcome of the validation process. It is likely that the first batch of results under the validation process will be received by schools prior to Christmas.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Ag bogadh ar aghaidh, we will just about have time to take three questions if everybody co-operates.