asked the Minister for Education the academic qualifications appropriate to the teaching of Irish studies.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Studies.
4.
Mr. R. Burke
It is envisaged that the new course of Irish studies when fully formulated will contain elements from a number of study areas. linguistic and cultural. Therefore, the teaching will be based upon co-operation between teachers in various study areas and no new element will be introduced which will call for specific new qualifications. I wish to emphasise again that the study of Irish will be an essential part of the new course.
Could I ask the Minister to confirm that, in the teaching of Gaeilge as an element of the subject Irish studies, the teachers will have the same qualification as that which is required in the teaching of Irish at post-primary level at the moment?
Mr. R. Burke
While it is desirable that those who are teaching the language subject Irish at the moment should have Irish in their degree qualification, it is not essential under the regulations of the Department. I do not foresee any change in the situation. Those who will be teaching the Irish language element will have the same general type of qualification as they have had heretofore. No change is envisaged.
Would the Minister indicate when he thinks it might be possible to introduce the subject in question, the introduction of which was promised a year ago?
Mr. R. Burke
A committee to formulate a syllabus on the subject will be set up in the fairly near future. In the meantime, I have received an interim report on the subject incorporating the views of my inspectors. When I announced this on the 5th April, 1973, at the time of the abolition of compulsory Irish for intermediate and leaving certificates, I did not suggest, nor should anybody have got the impression, that it should be introduced immediately. This subject is too important to be rushed. I expect it will be done as soon as possible, when we are ready to introduce it and not before. When it is introduced it will be introduced as a pilot scheme so that the proposals we have will be tested in the classroom.
The Minister will accept that the same caution was not exercised in the matter of the abolition of Irish?
Mr. R. Burke
The Deputy will appreciate that on the question of compulsory Irish, the matter was put to the people, and a clear mandate was received from them.
Would the Minister like to indicate what proportion of the programme will be linguistic and what cultural? Would he agree that it is a false dichotomy to distinguish between linguistic and cultural, because linguistics are also a matter of culture?
Mr. R. Burke
Yes, but the Deputy will appreciate that since this is going to be in the form of an integrated subject involving areas other than the Irish language, it is not possible at this stage to state precisely what time will be given to language and what time will be given to other elements.
Would the Minister like to comment on the second part of my question: would he not agree that he is making a false dichotomy in his reply when he distinguishes between linguistics and culture?
Mr. R. Burke
Not in this case. As the Deputy will appreciate as well as I do, we are not dealing here with a single subject, Irish, of which a dichotomy would be false; we are dealing here with a thing called Irish studies, a new concept involving areas other than the Irish language and the particular culture which goes with the Irish language.
May I interpose a layman's query on this? Does it not seem clear to the Minister, as it does to me, that the abandonment of the required instruction in Irish that has been part of the Coalition Government's policy, is, in fact, the dropping overboard of an essential part of our Irish cultural heritage; and that, however distasteful it may be for a student doing a competitive examination, it does not accord with the wishes of the ordinary people that any part of our national heritage, particularly our language, should be abandoned or eroded in any way?
Mr. R. Burke
Since the first part of the Deputy's question does not arise, the consequence does not follow.