Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will commence the roll-out of the family support programme and the new scheme from his Department for families from the Gaeltacht attending Kerry General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28896/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The aim of my Department's Family Language Support Programme is to strengthen the Irish language as the household and community language in the Gaeltacht in accordance with the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 . Under this programme, my Department is undertaking 12 specific measures to support Gaeltacht families who are raising, or who wish to raise, their children through Irish.

As part of this programme, my Department, with the co-operation of the Health Service Executive (HSE), has initiated an awareness campaign, directed at expectant parents and parents of newborn babies, regarding the advantages of raising their children through Irish. This awareness campaign is being implemented through the maternity services operated by the HSE, which service Gaeltacht areas in Co. Kerry, in addition to Gaeltacht areas in other counties.