Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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361. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost for reintroducing the modern languages in primary school programme in budget 2018 and for a national roll-out of the programme. [34882/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative (MLPSI) was introduced in September 1998. It involved the introduction of Italian, Spanish, German and French for 5th and 6th classes. The MLPSI was a pilot scheme across 550 schools with an annual budget of approximately €2.5m. It would not be possible to give an estimate of the cost of its reintroduction in 550 schools or its introduction across all primary schools due to the number of variables involved. 

The decision to end the MLPSI was taken in the context of a very challenging budgetary environment where difficult decisions had to be taken. A 2008 Report by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment recommended against a further expansion of the MLPSI, citing issues of curriculum overload and difficulties relating to the replicability of the model across the system.

Consideration will be given to its reintroduction in the context of the review of the time and structure of the primary curriculum currently being carried out by the NCCA. The priority at primary level is to provide high-quality language learning in our two languages, Irish and English. A new Primary Language Curriculum, incorporating Irish and English, was introduced in classes from Junior Infants to 2nd class from September 2016. This curriculum aims to ensure that students acquire transferrable language skills which will assist them in learning Irish and English and additional languages at second level.  Work is currently underway in developing the Primary Language Curriculum for third to sixth class.

My Department is currently finalising a strategy on Foreign Languages in Education and this will be published shortly. The Action Plan for Education refers to the importance of the rollout of that strategy, together with the implementation of revised curricula at primary level, in supporting increased levels of participation and competence in language learning.