Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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291. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the specific supports that are provided to support the teaching of the Irish language in Gaelscoileanna; if she will commit to reinstating the supports cut as a result of the austerity measures in the past decade; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13658/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can advise the Deputy that my Department has undertaken a range of measures to support the teaching of the Irish language in Gaelscoileanna.My Department is currently developing a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of Gaeltacht areas to complement the work done under the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017 - 2022. In order to promote the education of primary pupils through the medium of Irish, Gaelscoileanna located outside of Gaeltacht areas receive an additional €23.00 per pupil over and above the standard rate of capitation grant, which is €183 per pupil paid to all primary schools. 

An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) was established to plan and coordinate the provision of textbooks and aids to teaching and learning through Irish.  COGG’s functions, as set out in section 31 of the Education Act 1998, allow COGG to provide Irish-medium schools with a broad range of supports including the provision of teaching resources and text books, the provision of support services for teachers and schools and the funding of research all of which are aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of teaching of Irish.  COGG also provides CPD for teachers in Irish-Medium schools to improve and develop their own Irish language skills and has recently developed An Tairseach, a portal dedicated to providing access to resources that support teaching and learning in the Irish medium sector www.cogg.ie/tairseach/.  

In addition to supports provided by COGG, my Department provides funding to support a number of Irish language programmes including the Gaelbhratach programme and the digitisation of Séideán Sí text books.  My Department will also be providing funding to Foras na Gaeilge for the production of an Irish-Irish dictionary which will directly benefit students in Irish-medium schools by assisting with learning through the medium of Irish without the need to reference English words. 

In relation to Initial Teacher Education, my Department awarded contracts for two new Irish-medium teacher education programmes in 2018 to increase the supply of teachers with the competence to deliver high quality Irish-medium education in schools.  Work is currently underway to develop a new Irish-medium blended-learning post-graduate programme for post-primary teachers.  This course is expected to become available from September 2023.  In addition, curricular reform has seen a new integrated Irish/English Primary Language Curriculum introduced in 2019 which supports all learners and separate curricula for Irish Medium (“Language 1 Irish”/L1) and English-medium (L2) are in place at junior cycle level.  Work is underway to reform the curriculum specifications for Leaving Certificate (established) Irish .

In relation to supports which were cut as a result of the austerity measures in the past decade, my Department implemented the outcome of the review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (September 2012) of allowances and premium payments, under which  some allowances were no longer payable to new public service entrants including “new entrant” teachers. Circular 8 of 2013 outlines the effect of this review on teachers. In common with a number of job-role based allowances, sanction for payment to new beneficiaries of the “Teaching though Irish” allowance was withdrawn from 1st February 2012 under the terms of the Circular. Furthermore, if a teacher was eligible for receipt of the allowance prior to 1st February 2012 and subsequently left that job role on a voluntary basis, their entitlement to the allowance ceased from the date of the move and they cannot re-gain entitlement.  Amendments to teacher terms and conditions, including pay and allowances, may be achieved through engagement and collective bargaining agreements between the Government and the public service unions.