Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for choosing this matter for debate. I submitted it before the Easter break because it had emerged at that time.

I welcome the Minister of State. As he is aware, a suggested draft primary school curriculum framework with subject teaching times was published by the Minister for Education in early March. This has caused some concern among some in my community, Gaeltacht communities and those within the Irish language community. There is significant concern over the reduction in the status of the teaching and learning of Irish in primary schools, according to Ms Bláthnaid Ní Ghréacháin, the CEO of Gaeloideachas.Teaching time for Irish is to be reduced by 30 minutes per week in English-medium schools, and although the draft framework maintains it is at the teacher's discretion to add additional time as part of the flexible time on the curriculum, we all know this is hugely dependent on the teacher's ability, confidence and attitude towards Irish. The research shows that, as we all know, Irish is not a preferred subject of primary school teachers in English-speaking schools. There are some who would like an even greater reduction and some who possibly would like to get rid of it altogether, whereas Irish is among the favourite subjects of students in Irish-speaking schools, which confirms there is a positive link between the contact time spent with the language and positive attitudes towards it. While changes to the curriculum promote a third language at primary level, why did the Department of Education decide to reduce the time allocated to teaching Irish? Surely, it could have maintained, at the very least, the three and a half hours per week, perhaps reducing the flexible time schools have, rather than targeting Irish. The 20-year strategy has been supported and has been the foundation stone of Government policy regarding the Irish language for more than a decade. I believe the suggested policy change goes totally against the 20-year strategy.

Tugadh isteach an Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge le tacaíocht traspháirtí i mí na Nollaig 2010. Is é príomhchuspóir na straitéise ná go mbeidh sé polasaí ag an Rialtas i leith na Gaeilge chun úsáid agus eolas maidir leis an nGaeilge mar theanga phobail a mhéadú ar bhonn incriminteach. Go sonrach, is é aidhm an Rialtais é ná a chinntiú go bhfuil an oiread saoránach agus is féidir dátheangach, i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla araon. Is é an t-oideachas an chéad cheann de naoi réimse gnímh sa straitéis a chlúdaíonn oideachas laistigh agus lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht. Is é fírinne an scéil nach bhfuil an curaclam bunscoile nua atá beartaithe ag teacht leis an Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge. Ní féidir le Rialtas polasaí nua a thabhairt isteach a thagann salach ar pholasaí eile atá ann cheana féin. Bhí mé i m’Aire Stáit nuair a tugadh isteach an chéad straitéis oideachais Ghaeltachta agus an scéim aitheantais do scoileanna Gaeltachta. Mhéadaigh mé an maoiniú do mhná tí, do chláir ar nós teanga tí chun tacú le teaghlaigh ar fud na tíre a raibh an Ghaeilge mar theanga an tí, agus cláir eile ar nós leo siúd, ó Chonradh na Gaeilge. Tá an cinneadh gur chóir laghdú ar theagasc na Gaeilge mícheart agus níor cheart dul ar aghaidh leis.

The basis of this Commencement matter is that the Department has introduced a policy decision regarding the Irish language within the education system that goes totally against the 20-year strategy for the Irish language. It would be a retrograde step and there are other ways to ensure the time spent on Irish is maintained, notwithstanding the flexibility teachers are being given to make up lost time. I think that is based, as others commented, on teachers' ability and interest in the language.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Dr. Ann Marcus-Quinn from the University of Limerick, who is in the House with Senator Maria Byrne. I am sure the Minister of State and Members of the House would like to wish her an enjoyable day in Leinster House. I hope she gets a lot out of it.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Tá an freagra seo tugtha agam ón Aire Oideachais agus caithfidh mé an freagra sin a thabhairt, ach tá suim agam san ábhar seo mar is mise an tAire na Gaeilge agus na Gaelainne. Bhí mé ag éisteacht go dian leis na rudaí atá ráite ag an Seanadóir Kyne. Beidh a fhios ag an Seanadóir go dtacaíonn creatchuraclam na bunscoile le forbairt churaclam bunscoile a thógann ar rathúlacht agus ar láidreachtaí na gcuraclam roimhe seo agus, ag an am céanna, ag aithint agus ag freagairt do dhúshláin, riachtanais athraitheacha agus tosaíochtaí laistigh dár scoileanna. D'fhorbair an Chomhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta creatchuraclam na bunscoile thar thréimhse shé bliana agus cuimsíonn sé tarraingt ar chorpas fairsing taighde náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta; obair le líonra de 60 scoil; dlúthobair le comhpháirtithe oideachais agus páirtithe leasmhara níos leithne agus fairsinge agus comhairliúchán. Cuirtear an creat comhairliúcháin eile san áireamh freisin, lena n-áirítear iad siúd ar struchtúr curaclaim agus am agus teanga.Cosúil le curaclam na bunscoile 1999, soláthraíonn creatchuraclam na bunscoile leithdháiltí íosta ama molta ar bhonn seachtainiúil agus míosúil do gach achar curaclaim, lena n-áirítear teangacha. Níl na hamanna seo éigeantach agus tá siad faoi réir sainriachtanais rang-ghrúpa ar leith agus saineolas gairmiúil na múinteoirí.

As the Senator will know, the primary curriculum framework provides an increase in the weekly time allocation for well-being. It also provides an hour per week for the introduction of foreign languages from third class onwards.

In Irish-medium schools the curriculum is accessed through the medium of Irish, apart from the English-language curriculum. In Irish-medium schools the introduction of formal English language can be delayed until first-class support and acquisition of the Irish language. As for the reduction in the language, one considers the children's experience of language learning during the two free preschool years as part of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme, and recent figures indicate that approximately 97% of children avail of the programme.

It should be further noted that the primary language curriculum, curaclam teanga na bunscoile, introduced to all primary classes in 2019, is an integrated language curriculum which draws on the research and supports the transfer of skill from one language to the next through its shared structure and supportive approaches to learning and teaching.

I also note that the primary curriculum framework presents time allocations in two categories, namely, minimum curriculum time and flexible time. Flexible time provides schools with the opportunity to use this time for extended periods of in-depth learning in one or more of the five curriculum languages, including the area of languages.

The Department is committed to a wide range of actions to support the 20-year strategy, as Senator Kyne said, under a number of areas, including education in the Gaeltacht, partial immersion, curriculum assessment, teacher training, development and provision of resources, school provision and supply of teachers for Irish-medium education, out-of-school use of Irish, early-years education, higher education, advanced Irish language skills and third level.

Building on the successes of the Gaeltacht education policy, the Department is currently developing a new policy for Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht. A public consultation was recently concluded and further engagement with the stakeholders, including focus groups, is under way. This work will inform the policy. The Department announced recently the approval of 610 places on the primary initial teacher education programmes for two years, of which 30 are educational places in the bachelor of education, BEd, through the medium of Irish in 2023, making a total of 60 places in 2023.

Finally, the Department's content and language integrated learning, CLIL, project provides the opportunity for children in English-medium early language and care settings, primary and post-primary, to experience and benefit from partial immersion in Irish in order to improve learner confidence and disposition to Irish.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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Mar a luaigh an tAire Stáit ansin, luaigh an Roinn Oideachais go raibh polasaí nua á fhorbairt ag an Roinn don Ghaeloideachas taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht faoi láthair. Cuirim fáilte roimhe sin ach, mar sin, cén fáth go bhfuiltear ag déanamh go bhfuil an Roinn Oideachais ag déanamh cinnidh mhóir laghdú a dhéanamh ar an nGaeilge sna bunscoileanna, nuair atá an polasaí nua seo á fhorbairt agus an próiseas comhairliúcháin ag dul ar aghaidh faoi láthair? Ní dhéanann sé sin aon chiall. Ba cheart go mbeadh an cinneadh faoin churaclam nua tugtha mar gheall ar an bpróiseas comhairliúcháin nó i ndiaidh an phróisis comhairliúcháin atá á dhéanamh ag an Roinn faoi láthair. Ní aontaím gurb é seo an cinneadh ceart. Ní thacaíonn sé leis an nGaeilge ar chor ar bith. Tá sé ag dul in aghaidh Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Roimh an díospóireacht sin, d’iarr mé ar na hoifigigh i mo Roinn dul i dteagmháil leis an Roinn Oideachais chun an t-ábhar sin a phlé, mar tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an rud sin ag cur isteach go mór ar na tuismitheoirí agus na daltaí agus tá cuid de na ceisteanna ó thuismitheoirí, mhúinteoirí agus dhaltaí atá ag teacht isteach chuig mo Roinn.I am engaging on this issue with the Minister, Deputy Foley, through my officials. There are obvious concerns around the issue Senator Kyne raised. Táimid go léir ag déanamh ár ndícheall chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn. We must look at how the Irish language is taught. It is not just about the amount of time used in the classroom but also the need to examine in a fairly dispassionate, upfront and forthright way how it is taught and why it is that, after 14 years, most of us have difficulty with the language. As Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, I have the same difficulty. Tá an muinín beagnach caillte ag cuid mhór de na daoine atá tar éis teacht tríd an bpróiseas oideachais in Éirinn, ach when they go to France, after five years of learning French, they can have a comhrá i bhFraincis. We have a problem and we cannot address it just through shrinking the amount of time given to the teaching of the language. We need a proper discussion around an méid go léir maidir le múineadh na Gaeilge, sa bhunscoil go háirithe. Beidh mo Roinn ag glacadh páirt sa díospóireacht agus sa chomhrá sin.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for giving his time to deal with Commencement matters that are not necessarily under his brief. It is much appreciated by Members.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, who is taking the final Commencement matter.