Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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68. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills de thoradh Cheist Pharlaiminte Uimh. 102 den 16 Aibreán 2024, an dtabharfaidh sí soiléiriú ar an dul chun cinn atá déanta maidir leis an bplean chun beartas cuimsitheach don Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais, idir leibhéal an oideachais réamhscoile agus leibhéal an oideachais do mhúinteoirí, a fhorbairt agus a fhoilsiú; cathain a fhoilseofar an beartas nua; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [23691/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Tá dul chun cinn suntasach déanta ag mo Roinn maidir le cur i bhfeidhm an Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta agus tá obair anois faoi lán seol sa Roinn ar fhorbairt pholasaí nua don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht.

Is céimeanna tábhachtacha iad an dá pholasaí seo chun tiomantas Chlár an Rialtais a bhaint amach.

Ó foilsíodh é, tá an Polasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta tar éis tacú le neartú an tsoláthair oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge i gceantair Gaeltachta. Tá tionchar dearfach an pholasaí le braith sna scoileanna agus sna pobail ar fud na Gaeltachta.

Tá obair ar bun i mo Roinn faoi láthair maidir le polasaí nua don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a fhorbairt. Cuireadh próiseas comhairliúcháin poiblí ar bun chun tuairimí páirtithe leasmhara a fháil le bheith mar bhonn eolas d’fhorbairt an pholasaí. Ina theannta sin, rinneadh réimse gníomhartha chun a chinntiú go mbeidh an polasaí nua bunaithe ar thaighde reatha:

• Tá athbhreithniú ar an litríocht coimisiúnaithe trí phróiseas soláthair phoiblí agus déanta ag Sealbhú, DCU.
• Scríobhadh agus foilsíodh tuarascáil a thugann léargas ar sholáthar don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht ag mo Roinnse.
• Tá taighde maidir le haonaid agus sruthanna lán-Ghaeilge i scoileanna meán-Bhéarla ar bun.

Ba mhaith liom roinnt den obair eile atá déanta ag mo Roinn le blianta beaga anuas maidir leis an nGaeilge sa chóras oideachais a aithint. I measc na dtograí atá curtha i bhfeidhm, tá:

• an tionscadal píolótach Foghlaim Comhtháite Ábhar agus Teanga (FCÁT)
• curaclam teanga nua na bunscoile
• sonraíocht nua na Sraithe Sóisearaí don Ghaeilge
• gníomhaireacht ar leith – COGG – chun tacú leis an oideachas lán-Ghaeilge agus le múineadh na Gaeilge
• GaelAonad ar leith a chruthú in Oide, le freagracht ar leith as réimse curaclaim na Gaeilge agus na scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge
• tacaíocht don scéim Gaelbhratach trí Fhoras na Gaeilge
• tacaíocht do Séideán Sí – clár do mhúineadh na Gaeilge i scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge
• oideachas agus oiliúint múinteoirí, lena n-áirítear múinteoirí a chumasú chun cuir chuige dhifreáilte a úsáid.

My Department has made significant progress in implementing the Policy on Gaeltacht Education and work is now underway in the Department on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht.

Both of these policies are important steps towards achieving the Programme for Government's commitment.

Since its publication, the Policy on Gaeltacht Education has supported the strengthening of Irish-medium educational provision in Gaeltacht areas. The positive impact of the policy is felt in schools and communities throughout the Gaeltacht.

Work is currently underway in my Department on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. A public consultation process was established to obtain the views of stakeholders to inform policy development. In addition, a range of actions were taken to ensure that the new policy is based on current research:

· A review of literature has been commissioned through a public procurement process and carried out by Sealbhú, DCU.

· A report outlining the provision of Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht was written and published by my Department.

· Research on Irish-medium units and streams in English-medium schools is underway.

A new unit was established within my Department in April this year to focus on the teaching of Irish as a subject in English-medium schools. A priority for this unit is the development of an action plan to support the teaching of Irish and to assist in addressing some of the challenges in this area identified in the Chief Inspector's Reports.

I would like to acknowledge some of the other work that my Department has done in recent years in relation to the Irish language in the education system. Among the initiatives put in place are:

· the CLIL pilot project

· the new primary language curriculum

· the new Junior Cycle specification for Irish

· a dedicated agency – COGG – to support Irish-medium education and the teaching of Irish

· the creation of a dedicated GaelAonad in Oide with particular responsibility for the curriculum area of Irish and Irish-medium schools

· support for the Gaelbhratach scheme through Foras na Gaeilge

· support for Séideán Sí – a programme for the teaching of Irish in Irish-medium schools

· teacher education and training, including enabling teachers to use differentiated approaches.

These developments and initiatives will contribute to the development of a comprehensive policy for Irish in the education system.