Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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549. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the additional costs for an English medium school to transition to an Irish medium school. [28004/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I assume that the Deputy is referring to the transition of English-medium schools to Irish-medium schools in the context of the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme.  Under the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme, which is a key component of my Department’s Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022, schools located in Gaeltacht language-planning areas can apply to seek recognition as Gaeltacht schools.  To achieve Gaeltacht school recognition, schools will be required to operate entirely through the medium of Irish, apart from the teaching of English (and other language curricula in post-primary schools), in accordance with language-based criteria set out in the Policy. Schools that are participating in the Scheme will be granted additional resources and supports.

It is not possible to state the costs involved for individual schools in fulfilling the criteria for recognition as a Gaeltacht school due to varying school contexts. However, the Government has made available €1m to support a range of actions under the Policy on Gaeltacht Education in 2017 and this figure is anticipated to grow in coming years as the full range of actions in the Policy are implemented.