John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the resources that will be provided for the new education policy for the Gaeltacht. [2709/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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A dedicated Gaeltacht Education Unit has been established in the Department of Education and Skills in January 2017 to oversee the implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education. This Unit will be assisted by the Department of Education and Skills’ Inspectorate and An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) to support schools in the Gaeltacht that are committed, over a five-year period, to delivering Irish-medium education and that engage with their communities in the Gaeltacht language-planning process. The Department of Education and Skills will make additional resources and supports available to the schools located in the Gaeltacht that opt for recognition as a Gaeltacht school providing full Irish-medium education. The allocation of resources will be on a staged incremental basis.

Schools, whose application to participate in the Gaeltacht Schools’ recognition process is approved, will be granted additional teaching and/or other resources including dedicated continuing professional development (CPD). The Department of Education and Skills will also allocate additional resources to COGG to develop quality learning resources and oversee specific actions within the Policy that will assist in further developing high quality Irish-medium education and Irish-language teaching. 

An initial budget of approximately one million euro has been allocated by the Department of Education and Skills to support the initial implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education in 2017.