Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 217: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to implement further changes in the Irish curriculum, with a focus on improving young people's command of the spoken language and move towards more marks for oral Irish in the leaving certificate examinations. [18867/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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In March 2007 plans were announced to increase the proportion of marks available for oral assessment in the certificate examinations in Irish to 40%, for pupils beginning second level schooling in 2007/8. This will impact on the voluntary oral Irish examination available as an option within the Junior Certificate from 2010 onwards, and the national oral examinations in the Leaving Certificate from 2012. The measure is designed to promote a significant shift in emphasis towards Irish as a spoken language, where students can communicate and interact in a spontaneous way, and where Irish is spoken every day in schools.

A subject-specific support service for Irish has been established, as part of the Second Level Support Service (SLSS), to provide professional development for second-level teachers and support the use of Gaeilge as a communicative language in schools and classrooms. The work of the support team is assisted by a professional advisory group which includes representatives of my Department, the State Examinations Commission, An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, Foras na Gaeilge and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. To date the service has concentrated on the induction of team members and the preparation of seminars for teachers of First Year Irish. 54 seminars have been planned nationally for Term One, with the intention that two teachers of First Year Irish from all second-level schools will have had access to these seminars by the end of the current school year. Targeted seminars to teachers of First Year Irish in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools are also being provided.

The support service has also been undertaking an audit of the professional development needs of the teachers with whom it has been working and this will inform its work into the future. The service will shortly be looking at ways to make courses available to support teachers who wish to upskill themselves in the spoken language. A co-ordinating committee, Coiste Comhordaithe na Gaeilge, has also been established to advise on co-operative elements of the overall work to be carried out on the promotion of the Irish language within the education system. The committee is comprised of representatives from An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG), Údarás na Gaeilge and Foras na Gaeilge.

The policy of awarding bonus marks for Irish in the State examinations was introduced by the government in the 1920s as one of a number of initiatives to promote the study of subjects through Irish, reflecting the Constitutional position of Irish as the first language. This continues to the present day in the context of wider public policy to promote the Irish language, and is a facility open to all students. I have no plans to change the policy in this regard.