asked the Minister for Education whether his attention has been drawn to the resolution of the Catholic Clerical Managers' Association condemning as educationally unsound the exclusive use of Irish in the infants' schools outside the Gaeltacht; and, if so, whether he will see that the prohibition of the use of English in the infants' classes in Dublin and other English-speaking areas will cease and that a programme will be adopted to ensure the proper teaching of Irish in the infants' classes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Exclusive Use of Irish in Gaeltacht Infant Schools.
My attention has been drawn to newspaper reports in which it was stated that the Central Council of the Catholic Clerical Managers' Association, at a meeting on the 16th instant, passed a resolution on this matter. I have not received a copy of the resolution. I must remind the Deputy that the existing programme requires the work of the infant classes to be entirely in Irish only where the teachers are sufficiently qualified. This principle was accepted and recommended by the National Programme Conference in 1926, which included amongst its personnel two representatives of the Catholic managers. I see no reason to make any alteration in the present programme. I am satisfied that satisfactory progress has been made, and that effective work is being done to make the children Irish speakers.