Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I move:

That Seanad Éireann:

—noting that our young people receive 1,500 hours of education in the Irish language throughout their schooling, at an estimated cost of €500 million per annum;

—recognising that Irish is the only subject that all students are required to take after the junior certificate examination;

—deeply concerned at the fact that, in spite of this situation, many of our young people are leaving school without any reasonable command of the Irish language;

—acknowledging the findings of the 2003 NCCA discussion document, Languages in the Post-Primary Curriculum, which stated that our syllabi and examinations retain an emphasis on reading and writing at the expense of listening and speaking;

calls on the Government to:

—reform radically the curriculum for Irish in second-level education, focusing on the teaching of Irish as a living language of modern and useful communication;

—introduce an oral examination at junior certificate immediately and devise a new subject for the leaving certificate, Communicating in Irish, which would focus to a large extent on spoken Irish;

—allow all post-junior certificate students a choice as to whether to take Irish to leaving certificate level; and

—devise a new national strategy for Irish which sets out very clearly what the Government wants to achieve for the Irish language, what will be done to support this goal, and what is expected from agencies and other partners in meeting the challenges that lie ahead.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire, agus molaim an rún atá os comhair an tSeanaid. I Samhain na bliana seo caite ag cruinniú a bhí eagraithe aige, dúirt ceannaire Fhine Gael, an Teachta Kenny, gur mhaith leis díospóireacht a thosnú ar cheist na Gaeilge, agus sin an fáth go bhfuil an rún seo os ár gcomhair inniu.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to take this important motion. It will start the debate on this issue in this House. It is only right that we have an opportunity to contribute to the debate on teaching our native Irish language as a living language. Unfortunately, during the years there has been a decline in its use. Despite the many efforts that have been made by various Governments and Ministers during the years, it is unfortunate that much of what was intended in respect of it was never implemented. At a time when most other countries are conscious of the significance of their native language and heritage, it is important that we would indicate our commitment to our native language.

The recognition of Irish as an official European language two or three years ago was an important step. When Deputy Kenny made a statement last November on the Irish language and what he had envisaged for it, he did so in the context of being a Gaelic speaker. Furthermore, from the perspective of having being a teacher, he recognised the fact that there was a steady decline in the use of the Irish language and that many people were leaving second level school having received 1,500 hours tuition without any great proficiency in the Irish language or an ability to communicate in Irish. Anybody who fails to accept the fact that there is something wrong in the way we are teaching the Irish language is hiding behind a smokescreen and, unfortunately, that is the position in the case of many people.

In the context of the Government's amendment, the Minister for Education and Science will recognise exactly what the leader of the Fine Gael Party was trying to achieve in initiating debate on this issue. The Government's amendment states: "further acknowledges that the Minister for Education and Science has made very clear her intention to reform how Irish is taught". The intention to reform the position is the basis of everything that has been said in the debate on this issue. However, how many previous Ministers have made a similar statement and literally not done anything? In this instance, the Fine Gael proposal is to do something that will be acceptable not necessarily as a major sop to Gaeilgeoirí alone but that will give young people an opportunity to learn Irish because they want to do so rather than because they are forced to do so.

My party leader's proposal is that students would have to take Irish up to junior certificate and thereafter they would have a choice in that respect. The Department has indicated that Irish is compulsory in the same way as, in some instances, are English and mathematics. However, at least in respect of those latter two subjects there is a choice, but in the case of Irish there is none.

As a teacher I saw at first hand that many students who took Irish went through the process of being physically present in the class and doing what they were asked to do but thousands of them went into the leaving certificate Irish examination and left after the statutory requirement of remaining at the desk for 30 minutes. I have often supervised leaving certificate examinations and observed that in the case of the Irish examination, the minute the clock ticks the half hour after the official starting time students have left one after the other except those who were committed. It was in the spirit of recognising that something must be done that Deputy Kenny initiated the debate on this issue. It does not do the cause of the Irish language any good to misrepresent his statements, as certain people have done.

I want to put the position on the Irish language into perspective. Students taking Irish who commence at primary level and complete the leaving certificate receive 1,500 hours tuition at a cost to the state of €500 million. Comparing that with the position of students who take another European language such as French, the number of students who take honours French at leaving certificate and achieve at that level is far greater than those who take honours Irish. The most important part of this is that they are achieving a higher standard in French, as a foreign language, as opposed to what is happening with Irish.

The Minister of State is eager to get up and I ask for the protection of the Cathaoirleach.