Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 January 2017
395. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way in which she will work with her colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, to ensure that parents can access second level education through Irish, especially in areas with proven demand for Gaelscoileanna. [4085/17]
View answerI refer the Deputy to previous replies given to Parliamentary Questions in relation to this matter. As I mentioned in these replies the question of access to second-level education through Irish is primarily a matter for the Minister for Education and Skills.
However, in the context of its responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, my Department works in close cooperation with a number of key stakeholders, including the Department of Education and Skills.
Given the critical role of education in achieving the objectives detailed in the 20-Year Strategy, I can assure the Deputy that this close co-operation will continue to be a priority and I look forward to further engagement with my colleague, Richard Bruton T.D., Minister for Education and Skills, in relation to these matters.
I should also point out that the Cabinet Committee on Arts, Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Islands is working to ensure coherence and focus in the range of activities, both ongoing and in planning, to support and promote the Irish language within the wider context of national identity, culture and creativity. I am pleased to be a member of that Committee and I look forward to working with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, within that framework. Indeed, I am particularly pleased that a new Policy on Gaeltacht Education was published on 28th October last year, which sets out how the education system will contribute to supporting and promoting the future use of Irish as a living indigenous language in the Gaeltacht. I know that this policy, which had been the subject of extensive consultation with the various stakeholders, including my own Department, has been widely welcomed.
