Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 November 2023
275. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the actions in Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028 regarding English language proficiency for non-native speakers working in ELC and SAC services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51668/23]
View answerIn December 2021, I published "Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028", which aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in early learning and care and school-age childcare and to raise the profile of careers in the sector.
Under Pillar 5, Nurturing Skills commits to introduce a regulatory requirement for English language proficiency for Early Years Educators and SAC Practitioners working in English-medium settings over an appropriate timescale.
To inform decision-making on the nature of such a requirement and an appropriate timeline for introduction, Nurturing Skills committed to establish a language competency working group to advise on a regulatory requirement, and to carry out research on language proficiency across the sector. My officials are currently in the process of commissioning research on language requirements in other jurisdictions and comparative sectors to inform proposals prior to establishing a consultation mechanism with key stakeholders on the matter.
A Monitoring Committee has been established to monitor the implementation of the actions contained in Nurturing Skills. The Committee published its first Nurturing Skills annual progress report (on actions undertaken 2022) in March 2023. I am expecting to receive the next annual progress report from the Monitoring Committee (on 2023) in Q1 of 2024.
