Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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914.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions his Department is taking to increase the number of Irish speakers going into the workforce from third-level, in alignment with the government's target of having 20% of public sector employees fluent in Irish by 2030. [25374/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Reflecting the importance of the Irish language in the higher education system, the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 includes in the objects of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) the responsibility of ensuring that higher education institutions support the promotion and use of the Irish language. It should however by noted that higher education institutions (HEIs) are autonomous in their Irish language strategy, including the provision and expansion of university courses through the Irish language. The Department provides funding through the HEA, which distributes it to HEIs as block grants, allowing institutions to allocate resources to Irish-language initiatives as needed.

The HEA has provided an earmarked allocation of €1.8m per annum to University of Galway for Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge for the last number of years. In addition, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media have committed funding for Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta.

The Advanced Irish Language Skills Initiative is an initiative of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media as a response to an identified need to increase the numbers of graduates with skills in specific areas in the context of the Official Languages Act 2003 and Irish becoming an official and working language of the EU. It supports a range of specialised third level Irish language courses in areas such as translation, interpretation and law, with 8 courses available in 5 different institutions.

There is also a broad range of courses available in Irish in higher education institutions, with student returns statistics showing 98 courses available in Irish.

The Higher Education Authority funds the Conradh na Gaeilge initiative, ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ which is run in conjunction with the Union of Students of Ireland. It offers Irish language clubs and societies with skills and mentorship in developing the use of the language within Higher Education.

Overall, the Department is actively supporting the promotion of the Irish language through various initiatives and legislative measures. The implementation of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 will further drive demand for Irish language skills in the public sector, aligning with the government's target for 2030.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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915.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the collaborations in place, if any, between third-level institutions and secondary schools to aid the transition of students moving from Irish speaking schools, particularly students from Gaeltacht areas, to third-level studies. [25376/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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My Department is not directly involved in collaborations between individual post-primary schools and third-level institutions regarding the transition of students to further or higher education. However, to support the policy on Irish-medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht, my officials participate in the Steering Committee run by the Department of Education. This committee focuses on promoting Irish-medium education and may provide valuable insights into the support structures available for students transitioning from Gaeltacht areas to higher education.

Section 9(c) of the Education Act (1998) mandates that schools use their available resources to “ensure that students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their educational and career choices.” Guidance in schools encompasses educational, career, personal, and social guidance delivered within a whole-school context, including the role of all teachers and the specialised role of the guidance counsellor. The provision of guidance in the post-primary sector involves planning and delivering a range of learning experiences in a developmental sequence to help students develop self-management skills, leading to effective life choices and decisions, including progression to further or higher education.

Each school's Whole School Guidance (WSG) programme includes a range of learning and support activities tailored to meet the guidance needs of the school community. This programme may consider the particular context and experiences of students in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools. The guidance programme often includes activities that provide students with information and knowledge about third-level institutions. It may focus on transitions, offering students multiple opportunities to explore, experience, and ask questions about personal, social, educational, and career decisions they may encounter.

Regarding third-level education, each Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Ireland, as an autonomous body, is responsible for its own Irish language strategy, including the expansion and teaching of university courses through the Irish language. My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which in turn disburses this funding as a block grant to designated HEIs. The allocation of this funding, including any expenditure on Irish-language education initiatives, is managed by the individual HEIs.

My Department is committed to implementing the Official Languages Act and providing Irish-language services. The Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019 is crucial to Ireland and the life of the language in the country. Under Object 8 (b) of the HEA Act 2022, the HEA sponsors the Conradh na Gaeilge initiative, ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’, in collaboration with the Union of Students in Ireland.

‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ refers to a person actively engaged in using and promoting the Irish language. This initiative is an Irish language mentoring programme open to all students in HEIs. Its objectives include building on the development of Irish Language Societies and Officers, developing ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ Awards at third level, awarding a ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ Certificate for active students, and establishing a training, personal development, and mentoring scheme for ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’.

The initiative aims to achieve its goals by providing Irish language clubs and societies with skills and mentorship, offering training workshops to equip students and officers with additional skills (such as social media, graphic design, sponsorship, guest speakers, public speaking, and press releases) and delivering a certification and awards system to enhance student and society participation in Irish language activities within HEIs.

Ultimately, it is important to note that HEIs are autonomous and independently determine which Irish-language courses they offer. While DFHERIS remains committed to implementing the Official Languages Act, it does not have the authority to direct HEIs on their course offerings. For detailed and specific information on collaborations, individual HEIs would need to be approached directly.