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Cúram agus Oideachas na Luath-Óige

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 December 2018

Thursday, 13 December 2018

Ceisteanna (32)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

32. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige cén beartas atá aici lena dhéanamh cinnte go speagtar úsáid na Gaeilge i naíonraí agus naíolanna na tíre ó tharla go bhfuil sé cruthaithe gurb é an tráth dá saoil is éasca do leanaí teangacha a thabhairt leo ná nuair atá siad an-óg; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [52226/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Tuigim go maith an luach a bhaineann le tacaíocht a thabhairt do sholáthar seirbhísí sa Ghaeilge do leanaí óga, agus an ról a bhaineann le naíonraí agus naíolanna chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn mar theanga bheo. Maidir leis sin, bhí mo Roinn ag plé go réamhghníomhach le comhghleacaithe sa Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta agus sa Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna, agus d'aontaigh siad ar sraith chuimsitheach gníomhartha faoin bPlean Gníomhaíochta don Ghaeilge 2018-2022, a sheol an tAire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta i mí an Mheithimh 2018. Tá réimse gníomhartha comhaontaithe leagtha amach sa phlean cúig bliana seo, agus na tréimhsí a bhaineann leo, agus táthar chun iad a chur i bhfeidhm chun tacú leis an Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge uileghabhálach.

Tá ról tábhachtach ag suíomhanna luathbhlianta chun cumas sa Ghaeilge a chothú agus tá mo Roinn tiomanta do réimse gníomhartha atá ceaptha chun an tábhacht sin a dhearbhú. Tá sé mar aidhm ag na gníomhartha seo ná cur leis na bearta, tacaíochtaí agus comhpháirtíochtaí atá ann cheana in earnáil an oideachais luathbhlianta Gaeilge, agus chun tuilleadh feabhais a chur ar tacaíochtaí agus seirbhísí. I measc na ngníomhartha comhaontaithe tá cruthú dhá phost Gaeilge luathbhlianta chun forbairt an tsoláthair don Ghaeilge in earnáil na luathbhlianta laistigh den Ghaeltacht a chomhordú, agus bunlíne na dtacaíochtaí do naíonraí a bhunú chun bonn eolais a chur faoi phleananna maidir le polasaí as seo amach.

Déantar iarrachtaí i mo Roinn chun cumarsáid níos fearr le seirbhísí cúraim leanaí Gaeilge a chinntiú, go háirithe i gcomhthéacs na scéimeanna náisiúnta móra um chúram leanaí atá maoinithe ag mo Roinn. Mar shampla, maidir leis an Scéim Inacmhainne Cúraim Leanaí atá le teacht, beidh an suíomh gréasáin atáthar ag forbairt faoi láthair ar fáil i nGaeilge, chomh maith leis an tairseach an mháthair-fheidhmchlár. Beidh scéala maidir le seoladh na Scéime nua ar fáil i nGaeilge freisin. Beidh cainteoirí Gaeilge ar foireann an ionaid tacaíochta teagmhála. Tá an oiliúint don tSamhail um Rochtain agus Cuimsiú (AIM) ar fáil i nGaeilge do shuíomhanna luathbhlianta sa Ghaeltacht – cabhraíonn an scéim seo le leanaí faoi mhíchumas chun go mbeidh siad in ann páirt a ghlacadh sa scéim ECCE. Tá an suíomh gréasáin agus ábhair AIM ar fáil i nGaeilge. Níl ansin ach cuid samplaí de na bealaí a bhfuil mo Roinn ag plé leis, agus ag cinntiú go héascaítear seirbhísí cúraim leanaí Gaeilge a chuid seirbhísí a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge.

Seoladh Straitéis Uile-Rialtais do Naíonáin, Leanaí Óga agus a dTeaghlaigh 2019-2028 ar an 19 Samhain. Tá dhá ghníomhartha sa phlean deich mbliana uaillmhianach seo atá dírithe go sonrach chun tacú le forbairt na Gaeilge san earnáil luathfhoghlama agus chúraim. Is iad seo a leanas na gníomhartha:

- Tabhair isteach bearta chun cinntiú go bhfuil rochtain ag leanaí sa Ghaeltacht do Luathfhoghlaim agus Cúram trí Ghaeilge.

- Forbair bealaí chun tacaíochtaí Gaeilge a chur ar fáil do Luathfhoghlaim agus Cúram in áiteanna ina bhfuil cuid mhór leanaí ag foghlaim trí Ghaeilge.

Foilseofar plean feidhmithe do na gníomhartha sa Straitéis laistigh de shé mhí.

I am very conscious of the value of supporting the provision of services in the Irish language to children at an early age, and of the role pre-schools and crèches can play in promoting Irish as a living language. In that regard, my Department has participated proactively 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. 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 designed to affirm the importance of the role that early years 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.

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. For example, in relation to the forthcoming Affordable Childcare Scheme, the website currently in development will be available in Irish, as will the parent application portal. Communications in relation to the launch of the new Scheme will also be available in Irish. The contact support centre will have Irish speakers on staff. Training for the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) that helps children with a disability to participate in the ECCE scheme has been made available through Irish for Gaeltacht pre-school settings, and the AIM website and materials are available in the Irish language. 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.

A Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families was launched on 19th November. This ambitious ten year plan contains two actions specifically aimed at supporting the development of the Irish language within the early learning and care sector. These actions are as follows:

- Introduce measures to ensure that children in Gaeltacht areas have access to Irish-medium ELC provision;

- Develop mechanisms to provide Irish-language supports to ELC provision where there are high proportions of children who are learning through the medium of Irish.

An implementation plan for the actions contained within that Strategy will be published within six months.

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