Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the practice of early immersion education. [12272/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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This issue relates to the impact of providing an immersion model of education in Irish medium schools under which no English is taught for a significant part of the infant cycle.

There are a range of studies which highlight the effectiveness of immersion approaches to language learning. However, the precise models of immersion in use, whether this applied to the exclusion of other languages, the socio-economic profile of students, their home linguistic background, and the national context and level of societal use of the immersion language in the studies are not always clear and make comparisons difficult with the situation in Ireland. A review of literature in this area undertaken on behalf of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in 2006 concluded that "existing international research is not adequate to decide the reading sequencing issue clearly in the context of Irish immersion, either in a general way or in particular schools."

Circular 0044/2007 requires that Irish medium schools should provide for a minimum provision in English of 2.5 hours per week for infant classes, no later than the start of the second term in Junior infants. The previous Minister fully discussed this issue with Irish language organisations and the National Parent's Council prior to issue of the Circular to schools.

Circular 0044/2007 is now the subject of a legal challenge in the High Court, therefore my Department is prohibited from taking steps pursuant to implementation of the Circular until the judicial review has been heard and a final verdict has been given.

Officials of my Department are engaging in discussions with Gaelscoileanna to explore the scope for resolving the issue. If this proves feasible it will be then be necessary to discuss the matter further with the other parties with an interest in the matter.