Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills an dtabharfaidh sé soiléiriú maidir leis an Aonad nua Gaeltachta; an bhfuil sé bunaithe agus ag feidhmiú mar a gealladh i gCoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus na nOileán ag an gcruinniú deireanach a bhí acu roimh an Nollaig; cá bhfuil an tAonad nua lonnaithe; cad é líon na foirne; an bhfuil Gaeilge ag gach duine acu; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [3418/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Bunaíodh Aonad nua tiomnaithe, An tAonad um Oideachas Gaeltachta san Roinn go luath in Eanáir 2017 chun maoirsiú agus tacaíocht a thabhairt do chur i bhfeidhm an Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta 2017-2022 a foilsíodh in Deireadh Fómhair 2016. Beidh maoirsiú á dhéanamh ag an Aonad don Oideachas Gaeltachta ar raon beart a chur i bhfeidhm chun an soláthar oideachais sna scoileanna a fheidhmíonn trí mheán na Gaeilge a fheabhsú sa Ghaeltacht.

Is í Príomhchigire Cúnta atá mar Cheann an Aonaid agus tá Príomhoifigeach Cúnta agus Ardoifigeach Feidhmiúcháin ag obair san Aonad chomh maith. Beidh roinnt cigirí ag dul i mbun oibre ar bhonn páirtaimseartha san Aonad. Déanfar, freisin, oifigeach cléireachais a dháileadh ar an Aonad go luath. Beidh baill an Aonaid ag feidhmiú agus ag déanamh a gcuid gnó trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá cumas inniúlachta sa Ghaeilge ag gach oifigeach atá i mbun oibre agus beidh siad lonnaithe in oifigí éagsúla de chuid na Roinne. Beidh an tAonad ag obair go dlúth le Rannáin ábhartha na Roinne Oideachais agus Scileanna agus le heagraíochtaí éagsúla ar nós COGG agus leis an Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta. Gheobhaidh an tAonad seo cuidiú ó Chigireacht na Roinne a thacóidh le scoileanna agus a dhéanfaidh monatóireacht agus tuairisciú ar thionchar an Pholasaí.

English version

Can the Minister for Education and Skills provide clarification on the new Gaeltacht Education Unit. Has the Unit been established and is it in operation, as promised at the last meeting of the Committee of the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands held before Christmas? Where is the Unit located? How many on the team and has each person competence in Irish? Can the Minister make a statement on the matter?

The Department established a dedicated Gaeltacht Education Unit in January 2017 to oversee and support the implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022, which was published in October 2016. The Gaeltacht Education Unit will oversee the implementation of a range of measures to improve educational provision in schools operating through the medium of Irish in the Gaeltacht.

The Head of the Unit is an Assistant Chief Inspector and an Assistant Principal Officer and a Higher Executive Officer are also working in the Unit. A number of inspectors will work in the Unit on a part-time basis. A clerical officer will also be assigned to the Unit shortly. The staff of the Unit will operate and carry out their duties through the medium of Irish. All of the staff of the Unit have Irish-language proficiency and are located in various offices of the Department. The Unit will work closely with relevant sections within the Department of Education and Skills and other organisations such as COGG and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The Unit will be supported by the Department’s Inspectorate who will support schools and monitor and report on the impact of the Policy.