Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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424. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the formal policy or contractual requirements in place to ensure that all publisher-produced resources, particularly those accompanying mandatory curriculum changes such as the new primary mathematics curriculum, are made available simultaneously and with equal quality, including digital and interactive components in both English and Irish for the benefit of Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools. [64723/25]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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425. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware that the new English-language New Busy at Maths series has been released with comprehensive, interactive digital resources aligned with the new primary mathematics curriculum, while a fully updated Irish-language version, including the equivalent integrated resources, has not been made available to Irish-medium primary schools; her views on this discrepancy or plans to take steps to remedy it urgently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64724/25]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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426. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will engage with publishers (details supplied) to secure a definitive timeline for the release of the fully integrated Irish-language version of the New Busy at Maths series, or equivalent high-quality resource that meets the standards of the English version, including all digital and assessment supports, to ensure equitable resource provision for Gaelscoileanna during the crucial PMC implementation period. [64725/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 424, 425 and 426 together.

I can advise the Deputy that it is the current policy within the Department of Education and Youth not to endorse or promote any particular programme, product or publication to support teaching and learning. There are a small number of exceptions where the department has procured textbooks or resources in order to fill a need. There is no obligation for a school to use any particular textbook or programme in their delivery of the curriculum. Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary, determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the decisions on which textbooks, programmes and products to use in primary and post-primary schools are taken at school level.

In terms of content, the Department of Education and Youth does not have a role in approving, commissioning, sponsoring or endorsing any content in any publication or product. The Curriculum specification and prescribed syllabus material are determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) www.ncca.ie and it is the responsibility of each individual school to select the resources if any that it will use to support its implementation of the curriculum.

The only requirement from the department, on any resource used in a school, is that it is relevant to the curriculum. Ultimately, the decision on which resources, if any, most appropriately covers the curriculum, rests within the school itself.

An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) were established under Section 31 of the Education Act 1998 and one of COGG’s key functions is the provision of teaching resources for Irish Medium schools and significant progress has been made by COGG in providing these resources that meet the needs of teachers and students in schools.

There is strong and ongoing collaboration between my department, COGG, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland, Foras na Gaeilge and other organisations that benefits education in Gaeltacht and Irish-medium settings and a wide range of resources are available as a result.

My department has provided funding of just over €3m to COGG in 2025 and additional staff have been approved to further support and enhance its role, particularly to support the implementation of the new Policy on Irish-Medium Education outside the Gaeltacht and the new Action Plan to support the teaching and learning experiences of Irish in English-medium schools. €1m of COGG’s annual budget is put towards providing teaching and learning resources, and this includes new textbooks in Irish.

Since 2020, COGG has been developing ‘An Tairseach’ a portal which provides access to teaching and learning resources for Gaeltacht and Irish-medium schools. Teachers produce resources for ‘An Tairseach’, which are quality assured prior to their publication. Notes and resources for the majority of Junior and Senior Cycle subjects are available online on 'An Tairseach' and COGG will continue to work with teachers to provide comprehensive notes and supporting notes in all subjects. There are currently in excess of 2,000 resources on An Tairseach, between primary and post-primary school resources.

Specifically in relation to Mathematics:

• COGG established the ‘Meitheal an Mhata’ working group in 2025; a collaborative group consisting of academics and representatives from Oide, the NCCA, the NCSE, and COGG itself to support the development of high-quality mathematics resources for Irish-medium schools. The group is currently consulting with teachers through a focus group and a national questionnaire circulated to primary teachers. This consultation will provide insights into teaching and learning needs arising from the redeveloped Primary Mathematics Curriculum. The findings will inform the design of a new mathematics resource, aligned with the curriculum, to enhance teaching and learning.
• The Mol Mata website is being updated to adapt teachers’ lesson plans to reflect the changes in the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum. In addition, pupil tasks are being created for each lesson plan.
• An Irish-language version of the ‘Have You Got Maths Eyes?’ resource pack has been developed, and copies were sent out to schools during Maths Week.
• Two new Maths Trails — one in Spiddal and one in Dublin Zoo — have been developed to highlight the curriculum’s emphasis on noticing maths in the environment and learning through play. Each trail includes questions at different levels, with a strong focus on problem-solving and reasoning. To make the trails accessible and inclusive, friendly Irish-language avatars were created to read the questions aloud. Virtual versions are also available, allowing schools across the country to take part from anywhere.
• The first edition of the STEAM-zine ‘Full STEAM Ahead’ has been translated into Iris; ‘Bain Triail As’ and has been sent to schools. The second edition will be ready for distribution after Christmas.
• A new series of engaging Irish-language videos, Bosa in Airde, Cúig Fhíric Iontacha, has been created by Educational Voice and COGG. Each video presents five interesting facts about a wide range of science topics and themes “from the world around us”.
• cogg.ie/an-tairseach/
• www.curriculumonline.ie/ga-ie/primary/curriculum-areas/mathematics/toolkit/
• pmc.oide.ie/ga/
• ccea.org.uk/learning-resources/mol-mata
• mathscify.org/
• haveyougotmathseyes.com/
• padlet.com/eolas1/acmhainn-mata-5kpx1kmwre8s0ivm
• Many Irish-medium events were organised for Maths Week this year. Over 100 classes joined the live quiz for 1st and 2nd classes, and 126 classes took part in the ‘Maths Mystery’ online event for senior classes. A total of 184 pupils and their teachers from Gaelscoil Bharra and Gaelscoil Inse Chór visited Dublin Zoo to complete the Maths Trail at the Zoo. We received 154 entries for the tagline competition.