Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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548. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has given consideration to the inclusion of existing non-curricular languages as curricular languages within the Leaving Certificate, following the implementation and interim review of the Languages Connect strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61933/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The curricula for all existing Leaving Certificate subjects and modules, across all three Leaving Certificate programmes, are currently being redeveloped with updated curricula to be introduced in annual tranches from 2025. A total of five annual tranches are planned with teaching and learning commencing in the fifth tranche in 2029.

There is currently no plan to introduce any other new language subject as a curricular subject into Senior Cycle under the redevelopment programme.

Languages Connect – Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026 (www.gov.ie/en/publication/52f94d-framework-for-consultation-on-a-foreign-languages-in-education-strat/). aims to increase and diversify the range of languages taught and learned. As set out in the accompanying Implementation Plan which was informed by a lengthy and detailed consultation process, four new leaving certificate curricular languages were introduced from September 2020 – Lithuanian, Mandarin Chinese, Polish and Portuguese. These new languages were examined for the first time in summer 2022.

This brings to 14 the number of foreign language curricular options available for Leaving Certificate students. Leaving Certificate students can also sit a Leaving Certificate examination in 15 non-curricular foreign languages in accordance with Article 149 of the Nice Treaty.

Having regard to Ireland's clearly articulated national response to the war in Ukraine, and the principles that have been developed for the school sector which are informed by that position, it is considered appropriate that Ukrainian as a non-curricular language for Leaving Certificate would be developed by the State Examinations Commission for the State examinations 2025. A total of 549 students received a grade.

The model for the non-curricular language examination papers is based on the First Foreign Language final written paper of the European Baccalaureate.

A follow on to the Languages Connect Strategy will be developed with work commencing in 2026. As part of this work, the inclusion of additional curricular languages at post primary level will be considered.

Introduction of new Leaving Certificate subjects under Senior Cycle Redevelopment

Under the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme, announced in March 2022, two new Leaving Certificate subjects, Drama, Film and Theatre Studies (DFTS), and Climate Action and Sustainable Development (CASD) have been introduced in 100 network schools from September 2025.

Given the particular circumstances, Ukrainian was introduced as a non-curricular examinable Leaving Certificate language from summer 2025 and 549 students received a grade.

The actual development of a new or revised subject specification takes around two years; with associated Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) to commence in the academic year prior to teaching and learning commencing in schools. This means that the total time required to introduce a subject from the time its development commences until it is taught in schools is a minimum of three years.

In determining the new subjects to be introduced under the redevelopment programme, a number of relevant factors were taken into account. These included consideration of:

• subjects that were suggested by students, teachers and others during the NCCA’s Senior Cycle Review, which ran from 2016-2020
• anticipated level of interest
• capacity to develop and deliver new subjects in addition to the revision of existing curricula
• providing greater choice for students to better reflect their range of interests and support the development of a wider range of talents and skills. In this regard the extensive range of language subjects already provided on both a curricular and non-curricular basis was a specific dimension to the consideration. In addition to Irish and English, the current language provision amounts to 14 curricular languages and 15 non-curricular languages, representing 34% of all curricular subjects and 52% of examinable subjects overall.
• Foreign Languages at Primary level
• A new Primary Languages Curriculum (PLC) was published in September 2025 for introduction in primary schools on a phased basis from September 2026. The new PLC includes Modern Foreign Languages as part of the primary curriculum for the first time.
• Schools will be able to select the language used in the context of their resources and demographic. The curriculum will incrementally build on children’s existing knowledge and awareness of language in 3rd and 4th class progressing to a language competence model in 5th and 6th class.
• Language upskilling for primary teachers is currently underway.
• In advance of implementation of the new PLC, ‘Say Yes to Languages’ a language sampler module for primary schools is being facilitated by Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) on behalf of the department. Over 1,300 primary schools right across the country are participating in this ten-week module selecting 12 languages in 2025/26.

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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549. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has given consideration to the inclusion of Romanian as a curricular language within the Leaving Certificate, following the implementation and interim review of the Languages Connect strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61934/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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(www.gov.ie/en/publication/52f94d-framework-for-consultation-on-a-foreign-languages-in-education-strat/) aims to increase and diversify the range of languages taught and learned. As set out in the accompanying Implementation Plan which was informed by a lengthy and detailed consultation process, four new leaving certificate curricular languages were introduced from September 2020 – Lithuanian, Mandarin Chinese, Polish and Portuguese. These new languages were examined for the first time in summer 2022.

The Department of Education and Youth welcomes the efforts of the Romanian government and communities in Ireland to support the maintenance of the Romanian language and acknowledges that where the home language is supported there are better academic outcomes, positive identity, the development of intercultural skills, more opportunities for the future, and children stay connected with their heritage and families, all of which are recognised as important for the well-being of children.

Romanian is included as a non-curricular Leaving Certificate examination in accordance with Article 149 of the Treaty of Nice which states that “Community action shall be aimed at developing the European dimension in education, particularly through the teaching and dissemination of the languages of the Member States."

Having regard to Ireland's clearly articulated national response to the war in Ukraine, and the principles that have been developed for the school sector which are informed by that position, it is considered appropriate that Ukrainian as a non-curricular language for Leaving Certificate would be developed by the State Examinations Commission for the State examinations 2025. A total of 549 students received a grade.

The model for the non-curricular language examination papers is based on the First Foreign Language final written paper of the European Baccalaureate.

A follow on to the Languages Connect Strategy will be developed with work commencing in 2026.

Introduction of new Leaving Certificate subjects under Senior Cycle Redevelopment

Under the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme, announced in March 2022, two new Leaving Certificate subjects, Drama, Film and Theatre Studies (DFTS), and Climate Action and Sustainable Development (CASD) have been introduced a number of selected Phase One schools from September 2025.

The curricula for all existing Leaving Certificate subjects and modules are also being revised in five annual tranches from 2025-2029 There is currently no plan to introduce Romanian (or any other new language subject) as a curricular subject into Senior Cycle under the redevelopment programme.

Ukrainian was introduced as a non-curricular examinable Leaving Certificate language (the same status as Romanian) from summer 2025 and 549 students received a grade.

The actual development of a new or revised subject specification takes around two years; with associated Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) to commence in the academic year prior to teaching and learning commencing in schools. This means that the total time required to introduce a subject from the time its development commences until it is taught in schools is a minimum of three years.

In determining the new subjects to be introduced under the redevelopment programme, a number of relevant factors were taken into account. These included consideration of:

• subjects that were suggested by students, teachers and others during the NCCA’s Senior Cycle Review, which ran from 2016-2020
• anticipated level of interest
• capacity to develop and deliver new subjects in addition to the revision of existing curricula
• providing greater choice for students to better reflect their range of interests and support the development of a wider range of talents and skills. In this regard the extensive range of language subjects already provided on both a curricular and non-curricular basis was a specific dimension to the consideration. In addition to Irish and English, the current language provision amounts to 14 curricular languages and 15 non-curricular languages, representing 34% of all curricular subjects and 52% of examinable subjects overall.
• Foreign Languages at Primary level
• A new Primary Languages Curriculum (PLC) was published in September 2025 for introduction in primary schools on a phased basis from September 2026. The new PLC includes Modern Foreign Languages as part of the primary curriculum for the first time.
• Schools will be able to select the language used in the context of their resources and demographic. The curriculum will incrementally build on children’s existing knowledge and awareness of language in 3rd and 4th class progressing to a language competence model in 5th and 6th class.
• Language upskilling for primary teachers is currently underway.
• In advance of implementation of the new PLC, ‘Say Yes to Languages’ a language sampler module for primary schools is being facilitated by Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) on behalf of the Department. Over 1,300 primary schools right across the country are participating in this ten-week module selecting 12 languages in 2025/26 including Romanian in two schools.
• PPLI have provided training to the participating teachers and tutors. They have also provided the schools with a range of exciting and engaging resources which are also available on-line on the languages connect website. https://languagesconnect.ie/primary/ Four schools implemented Say Yes to Languages using Romanian in 2024/25.
• There are a range of Romanian resources for all levels available on the PPLI website here:

Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) supports the provision of Romanian language classes to encourage more students to maintain and develop literacy in their home or heritage language, by means of financial support to schools to recruit a teacher of Romanian where a critical mass of Romanian-speaking students attends. In 2024/25, funding was provided to three post-primary schools in Dublin, enabling them to deliver classes to over 150 students, as well as to acquire relevant materials. These classes supported students in their preparation for the non-curricular Romanian Leaving Certificate examination.

PPLI also provide support classes in Dublin on Saturdays with students of Romanian heritage taking the non-curricular language. 132 students were enrolled in these classes for the academic year 2024/25 and 111 in 2025/26.

PPLI are also working on the development of resources to support the teaching and learning of Romanian. In 2023 PPLI devised a Romanian language mat and Romanian Z-fold for use in the classroom to encourage communication in the target language. PPLI have also published a TY Beginners’ Module for Romanian.

A toolkit for acquiring foreign language books was developed as a collaboration between PPLI, Dublin City Libraries and Cabra Library and is now available to library branches nationwide. A foreign language category was introduced in the MS Readathon. A School Library Home Languages Funding Scheme facilitated by PPLI has provided 1385 schools (937 primary and 448 post-primary) with reimbursement for acquired materials in 80 different languages. Over 800 book titles in 27 languages have been provided to the JCSP Digital Library. All of the aforementioned include books and resources in the Romanian language.