Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
2560. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has met with the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in order to discuss the role of Irish in early childhood learning and care. [33665/19]
View answerMy Department has engaged extensively with colleagues in the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Department of Education and Skills in agreeing a comprehensive set of actions to be implemented under the Action Plan for the Irish Language 2018 to 2022, launched by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in June 2018. Officials from my Department attended this launch. This five year action plan sets out a range of agreed actions, with associated timeframes, to be implemented in support of the overarching 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 to 2030.
My Department has committed to a range of actions under this plan designed to affirm the importance of the role that early learning and care settings can play in fostering Irish language proficiency. The aim of these actions is to build on existing measures, supports and partnerships in the area of Irish-medium early years education and further improve supports and services. The agreed actions include the creation of two Irish language early years posts to co-ordinate the development of Irish language provision in the early years sector in non Gaeltacht areas, and the establishment of a baseline of supports for naíonraí that will inform future policy plans.
My Department has established a dedicated Early Years National Oversight Group that monitors the implementation of the early years specific actions contained within the action plan. This group is comprised of officials from the both the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Department of Education and Skills, as well as other relevant Irish language stakeholder organisations. Officials from my Department are also represented on the overarching Oversight Group established by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Efforts are also being made within my Department to ensure improved communication with Irish speaking childcare services, in particular in the context of the major national childcare schemes that my Department funds.
In respect of the forthcoming National Childcare Scheme, the website and parent application will be available in Irish. Irish speaking support staff are available to answer parental queries, and communications in relation to the Scheme are also available in Irish. Training and materials for the Access and Inclusion Model that helps children with a disability to participate in the ECCE scheme are available through Irish.
These are just some examples of the ways in which my Department is engaging with, and ensuring that, Irish medium childcare services are facilitated to provide their services through the Irish language.
My Department remains committed to supporting services wishing to operate through the medium of Irish, and will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders in this regard.
