Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills cad é atá pléite aici leis na páirtithe leasmhara maidir le straitéisí don Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [49971/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Tá obair ar siúl anois i mo Roinnse chun polasaí nua don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a fhorbairt. Tógfaidh an polasaí seo ar an méid atá bainte amach ag an bPolasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta.

Bunaíodh coiste stiúrtha le hionadaithe ó na Ranna agus Gníomhaireachtaí Rialtais seo a leanas chun maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar fhorbairt an pholasaí:

- An Roinn Oideachais

- An Roinn Leanaí, Comhionannais, Míchumais, Lánpháirtíochta agus Óige

- An Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán

- An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta

- An Chigireacht

- An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG)

- Foras na Gaeilge

- An Chomhairle Mhúinteoireachta

- An tSeirbhís Náisiúnta Síceolaíochta Oideachais (NEPS)

- An Chomhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta

- An Chomhairle Náisiúnta um Oideachas Speisialta.

Cuirfear próiseas comhairliúcháin phoiblí ar bun sna míonna amach romhainn chun tuairimí páirtithe leasmhara amhail daoine óga, a dtuismitheoirí, foireann agus ceannairí scoile agus eagraíochta Gaeilge a fháil.

Bunófar Coiste Comhairleach le páirtithe leasmhara ábhartha amach anseo chun tacú le cur i bhfeidhm an pholasaí.

Táim ag súil leis an obair thábhachtach seo a thabhairt chun cinn, chun an t-oideachas lán-Ghaeilge a neartú agus chun tógáil ar na torthaí dearfacha atá á mbaint amach cheana féin i gcur i bhfeidhm an Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta. Táim ag súil freisin le bheith ag obair leis na páirtithe leasmhara ábhartha chun na céimeanna éagsúla is gá chun an polasaí a fhorbairt a chur chun cinn.

I mí Feabhra 2021, sheol an Chomhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta (CNCM) comhairliúchán ar dhréachtshonraíochtaí T1 agus T2 don Ghaeilge don Ardteistiméireacht (bhunaithe). Cuireadh síneadh ama leis an gcomhairliúchán seo ó dheireadh mhí Lúnasa go deireadh mhí na Samhna 2021, chun rannpháirtíocht níos mó le páirtithe leasmhara a éascú sa phróiseas. Chuir an síneadh ama ar chumas CNCM athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar luath chur i bhfeidhm shonraíochtaí Gaeilge T1 agus T2 na Sraithe Sóisearaí freisin.

Déanfar torthaí an chomhairliúcháin ar dhréachtshonraíochtaí Gaeilge na hArdteistiméireachta, T1 agus T2, agus torthaí an athbhreithnithe ar luath chur i bhfeidhm shonraíochtaí T1 agus T2 Gaeilge na Sraithe Sóisearaí a bhreithniú ag an gcéad chruinniú eile de Chomhairle an CNCM. Ag an bpointe seo, déanfaidh an CNCM moltaí maidir leis na chéad chéimeanna eile i bhforbairt curaclam do Ghaeilge na hArdteistiméireachta (bhunaithe).

Tar éis athbhreithniú an-chuimsitheach ar chur i bhfeidhm na n-imlitreacha ar dhíolúintí ó staidéar na Gaeilge, d’fhoilsigh mo Roinn imlitreacha in 2019 a rinne leasú ar na himlitreacha a bhí i bhfeidhm ó na 1990idí. Chuimsigh an t-athbhreithniú sin taighde a rinne an Chigireacht ar chur i bhfeidhm i scoileanna agus go hidirnáisiúnta chomh maith le próiseas comhairliúcháin phoiblí inar tugadh breis agus 11,000 freagra ar an suirbhé agus inar déanadh thart ar 100 aighneacht scríofa, lena n-áirítear aighneachtaí ó phríomhpháirtithe leasmhara. Le déanaí tá athbhreithniú tosaigh déanta ag mo Roinn ar chur i bhfeidhm na n-imlitreacha a eisíodh in 2019 ar dhíolúintí ó staidéar na Gaeilge bunaithe ar thaighde deasc-bhunaithe. Chomh maith leis sin, reáchtáladh seisiúin eolais ar na moltaí le príomhpháirtithe leasmhara.

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Answer

Work on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht is now underway in my Department. This policy will build on the achievements of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education.

A steering committee has been established with representatives from the following relevant Government Departments and Agencies to oversee the development of the policy:

- The Department of Education

- The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

- The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

- The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

- The Inspectorate

- An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG)

- Foras na Gaeilge

- The Teaching Council

- The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS)

- National Council for Curriculum and Assessment

- National Council for Special Education.

Planning is underway for a public consultation process to take place in the coming months to gather the views of stakeholders, including young people, their parents, school staff and leaders, and Irish-language stakeholders.

An Advisory Committee with relevant stakeholders will be established at a later stage to support implementation of the policy.

I look forward to progressing this important work of strengthening Irish-medium educational provision and building on the positive outcomes already being achieved in the implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education. I also look forward to working with relevant stakeholders in the development of this policy.

In February 2021, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) launched a consultation on draft L1 and L2 specifications for Leaving Certificate (established) Irish. The timeframe for this consultation was extended from the end of August to the end of November 2021, in order to facilitate greater stakeholder engagement in the process. This extension of the closing date has also allowed the NCCA to conduct an early enactment review of the Junior Cycle Irish L1 and L2 subject specifications.

Findings of the consultation on the draft Leaving Certificate Irish specifications, L1 and L2, and the findings from the early enactment review of Junior Cycle Irish specifications, L1 and L2, will be considered at the next meeting of the NCCA Council. At this point, the NCCA will advise on next steps in the development of the Leaving Certificate (established) Irish curriculum.

Following a very comprehensive review of the implementation of circulars on exemptions from the study of Irish, my Department published circulars in 2019 revising circulars in place since the 1990s. The review comprised research carried out by the Inspectorate on implementation in schools and internationally as well as a public consultation process which saw over 11,000 responses to the survey and some 100 written submissions including from key stakeholders.

More recently, my Department has carried out an initial review of the implementation of the 2019 circulars on exemptions from the study of Irish based on a desk based research and held briefing sessions on its proposals with key stakeholders.