Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Aontaím leis an Seanadóir Labhrás Ó Murchú sa mhéad a dúirt sé faoin Gaeltacht. Caithfimid gach rud is féidir a dhéanamh chun an Ghaeltacht a chothú. Ba mhaith liomsa chomh maith go dtiocfadh an tAire go dtí an Teach chun ráiteas a dhéanamh faoin ábhar seo mar tá sé práinneach.

I support Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú's comments about the importance of the Gaeltacht, and his call for the Minister to come into the House to allow us have a discussion on the matter. I know the Minister is every bit as keen as Senator Ó Murchú to protect and develop the Gaeltacht, so I hope we can have that discussion.

The report by the professors in the University of Limerick, Dr. Máire Ní Ríordáin and Dr. Ailish Hannigan, into mathematics in post-primary schools is worrying in that there seems to be some slippage.It is too early to say whether Project Maths is the cause of this because this is the first year in which every student did Project Maths. It may be the case that there is an over-emphasis on activity rather than on drills. Both are needed. If it is the case that a C grade would have been a D grade some years ago, a fortiori, would a D grade today have been an E grade? The problem started when long division was taken out of fourth class and put into fifth class as shorthand in respect of our problems in mathematics.