Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason the budget for Irish classroom assistants has been reduced for the current academic year; if she will consider reinstating this budget to its previous levels; if 13 new schools will continue to be added to the scheme as initially indicated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30150/16]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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A grant of €508,989 in total was sanctioned to Muintearas Teo in respect of managing the Irish Language Assistants Scheme on behalf of my Department for the Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Meath Gaeltacht areas. The objective of the scheme is to reinforce Irish as the spoken language among young people in the Gaeltacht and the service is delivered for the most part through the network of Gaeltacht primary schools.

While no reduction in funding was made in respect of the work of the Language Assistants themselves, the administration element was not covered by the grant. However, I now understand that Údarás na Gaeltachta intends to carry out an in-depth audit of the functions, structures and funding of Muintearas Teo, which is a subsidiary company of Údarás. In that context, I have decided to reinstate the administration funding for the school year 2016/2017 and the necessary arrangements to that end will be processed by my Department. I have also asked my officials to examine again the applications made by new schools to participate in the scheme and to make a recommendation on the merits for inclusion in the scheme. I am satisfied in principle to provide funding for these schools, subject to each individual case being approved in consultation with the Department of Education and Skills.