Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
469. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated cost of re-establishing Gaeleagras on the budget allocation it received in its final year of operation [40464/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Budget allocation received by Gaeleagras in its final year of operation, which was 2012, was €45,000. While the re-establishment of Gaeleagras would require an increase on that amount given the passage of time, I would like to highlight a number of points to the Deputy.
My Department remains committed to building the capacity of its staff to conduct their business through the medium of the Irish language. To this end, Irish language courses (intermediate and advanced) have been available for civil servants through OneLearning since 2018. From this Autumn, a beginners Irish course will also be available. In addition, also from this Autumn, Irish language courses will be certified. The certification will be based on the Teastas Eorpach sa Ghaeilge (TEG) which is a well-established certification system for learners of Irish. TEG is run by Maynooth University and is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching and Assessment (Council of Europe, 2001). The TEG system gives employers objective and specific information about the language ability of candidates. This will be of particular importance in the implementation of the provisions of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2021 over the next number of years.
TEG certification will be introduced on a phased basis. For the Autumn 2022 term, beginner and intermediate levels will have partial certification (i.e. learners will complete an oral TEG exam). The advanced level will be fully certified (i.e. learners will complete both an oral and written exam). For the Spring 2023 term and going forward, all learners will be required to complete both oral and written exams.
