Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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940. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which she plans to improve access to Gealscoils and Geal Choláiste as set out in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19917/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Work on the development of a new policy for Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht is in progress in my Department. This policy will sit within the overall framework of the 20-year Strategy for the Irish language and will build on the achievements of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education. Among the objectives for the new policy are exploring how opportunities for the establishment of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí can be increased as part of the patronage process.

It is also my intention to launch a survey of primary school communities shortly. It is planned that the survey will ask parents for their preference for the primary language of educational provision in their school - English or Irish.

The results of the survey will help us plan how we provide education at primary level into the future. This initiative along with other work, will help identify opportunities for increasing Irish medium provision at primary and post-primary level.

There are currently 248 Gaelscoileanna and 50 Gaelcholáistí in operation throughout the country.