Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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306. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding that has been allocated for 2017 to increase the provision of Irish language naíonraí in line with the recommendations proposed by the policy on Gaeltacht education 2017 to 2022. [31002/17]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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307. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding that has been allocated for 2017 to increase the provision of training of qualified child care workers in the Irish language in line with the recommendations proposed by the polcy on Gaeltacht education 2017 to 2022. [31003/17]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 306 and 307 together.

I have been informed by Údarás na Gaeltachta that its subsidiary, Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta (CNNG), provides administration, support and training services for early childhood education and care services which include naíonraí, crèches, breakfast clubs, afterschool services and parent and toddler groups in the Gaeltacht areas. CNNG currently manages 74 early-years services (Naíonraí) throughout the Gaeltacht, providing early-years education to over 1,000 children. Údarás na Gaeltachta approved funding of €535,000 for CNNG’s operations in 2017.

In anticipation of the increase in the provision of Irish language naíonraí (as proposed by the Policy on Gaeltacht Education), Údarás na Gaeltachta recently approved funding to Muintearas Teo to provide a Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education through Irish in the Connemara Gaeltacht. Enquiries are also underway to assess the requirement for providing the same course in the other Gaeltacht regions based on demand. Údarás na Gaeltachta has also approved a pilot scheme aimed at supporting the upskilling of those already employed in the early-years education sector in the Gaeltacht.

The Policy on Gaeltacht Education sets out a number of objectives aimed at supporting services at present operating through the medium of English in the Gaeltacht to move towards an Irish-medium model and also aims to increase the availability of Irish language naíonraí.

In the interest of completeness, I should also mention that in addition to the aforementioned assistance provided to the early years sector in the Gaeltacht, my own Department has sanctioned funding to eight early years childcare facilities in the Gaeltacht through Scéim Seirbhísí Réamhscoile agus Iarscoile. This scheme, which was established for a trial period of 3 years in March 2014, provides assistance to qualifying Gaeltacht-based Family Support Centres and certain Gaeltacht pre-school services which operate through Irish, in order to support the provision of language acquisition and enrichment activities aimed at young Gaeltacht households.