Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the administrative services in Irish of equal standard to those provided in English that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment will be in a position to provide to An Comhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta; if he researched these Irish language services prior to the decision to merge COGG with the NCCA; if he will reconsider the decision to merge these bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2675/13]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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236. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list the administrative services in Irish of equal standard to those provided in English; if the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment will be in position to provide to An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta; if he researched these Irish-language services prior to the decision to merge COGG with NCCA; his views on whether it would be better to reverse this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2564/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 236 together.

In the new arrangement, I have made the decision to integrate COGG into the NCCA on an administrative basis. No immediate change will be made to the statutory functions of either COGG or the NCCA. The new arrangements will require COGG and the NCCA to work closely together on the many developments relating to the Gaeilge curricula at both primary and post-primary and the associated materials to support teaching, learning and assessment of Irish.

The new arrangements are intended to strengthen the support that the State can give to the teaching of Irish in Irish medium and other schools. The Department wants to implement the education actions within the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 – 2030; the actions relating to the Irish language both in the Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young people 2011 – 2020 which was published in 2011 and also the actions within the Framework for Junior Cycle which I published last October.

COGG will retain its staffing complement and its identity. COGG will continue to relate to its partners and public as is current practice. Working on administrative matters with NCCA staff such as accountancy/ operational matters may require some work being carried out through the English language.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way he will ensure that An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta's budget will remain ringfenced in the future under the new arrangement based on the decision he made to merge COGG with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment; if COGG will be in a position to make its own decisions regarding its budget in the future; if the board of COGG will be responsible for the management of COGG or if the NCCA will take over; his plans to reverse this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2676/13]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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237. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way he will ensure that An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta budget will remain ring-fenced in the future under the new arrangement based on the decision he made to merge COGG with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment; if the COGG will be in a position to make its own decisions regarding its budget in the future; if the Board of COGG be responsible for the management of COGG or will NCCA take over; his views on whether it would be better to reverse this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2565/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 237 together.

I have made the decision to integrate COGG within the NCCA on an administrative basis. Funding for COGG will be provided as a sub-head within the NCCA budget from 2014. It will be ring-fenced for COGG activities.

It is intended to review the legislation pertaining to both organisations in order to determine whether a more formal statutory arrangement between the two bodies is required. The Board of COGG is very large. In the context of the review of the legislation, the replacement the existing COGG Board with a smaller Board will be considered. The reporting arrangements for the new COGG Board and its relationship with the Council of the NCCA and with the Department will also be examined. No decision has been made on this yet.