Peadar Tóibín
Question:100. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost per year of establishing the two new Irish-medium teacher education programmes (details supplied). [40515/18]
View answerThursday, 4 October 2018
Questions (100)
Written answers
A key aim of my Department's Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 is to increase the supply of teachers who can deliver high quality Irish medium education in primary and post-primary schools. To work towards achieving this Policy objective, in March 2018, I announced plans for the commencement of two new Irish-medium teacher education programmes which will deliver up to 60 new places for teacher education through Irish annually.
Mary Immaculate College commenced the delivery of an Irish-medium Masters in Education (M.Ed.) for primary and post-primary teachers, including principals, in September 2018, while Marino Institute of Education will deliver a 4-year Irish-medium Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) initial teacher education course for primary teachers commencing in 2019.
The estimated cost for the first year of the delivery of the M.Ed. programme which is being offered by Mary Immaculate College is in the region of €210,000. The estimated cost for the first year of the delivery of the B.Ed. programme to be offered by Marino Institute of Education is in the region of €340,000.
An overall budget allocation of €2.3m was provided for the implementation of actions under the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 in 2018.