asked the Minister for Labour why AnCO are not training boys from Gaeltacht areas, in respect of their chosen careers, through the medium of the Irish language.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Training Through Irish.
16.
The Gweedore Industrial Training Centre was established specifically for the purpose of providing industrial training in Irish for native speakers from Gaeltacht areas. When training courses are being arranged in the centre preference for admittance to these courses is given to applicants from the Gaeltacht and applicants from non-Irish-speaking areas are not accepted until all applicants from Gaeltacht residents have been accommodated. The majority of trainees at the centre are native Irish speakers.
There are 31 instructors employed by AnCO at the Gweedore Centre, 26 of them native Irish speakers and the remaining five having a proficient knowledge of Irish. All instructors employed there are competent to instruct through Irish and this is the usual medium of instruction employed.
AnCO make every effort to impart the appropriate skills to their trainees as would enhance their chances of obtaining suitable employment in the Gaeltacht areas.
I am glad to hear the position is satisfactory in Gweedore but I am concerned about the position in the Connemara Gaeltacht. Numbers of young people are going in from Connemara——
This is a statement.
——to Galway for their training and is the Minister saying it is not possible to find Irish-speaking lecturers for the AnCO training centre in Galway? These young boys and girls are at a disadvantage when their home language is Irish and they have to train through English.
Perhaps I have taken the Deputy's question wrongly in that the reference is to the Gaeltacht and I interpreted it as referring specifically to Gweedore. I will find out what the Galway situation is.
I will put down another question.