20-year strategy for the irish language 2010 – 2030...20-year strategy for the irish language 2010...

20-YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE IRISH LANGUAGE

2010 – 2030

Government of Ireland

20-YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE IRISH LANGUAGE 2010 – 2030

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

1. The Vision ............................................................................................................................................................................................3

2. Policy Context .................................................................................................................................................................................4

3. A Phased Strategy ......................................................................................................................................................................8

4. Specific Objectives......................................................................................................................................................................9

5. Implementation Structures............................................................................................................................................10

6. Areas for action: ........................................................................................................................................................................11

6.1 Education...............................................................................................................................................................................11

6.2 The Gaeltacht....................................................................................................................................................................19

6.3 Family Transmission of the Language – Early Intervention.............................................21

6.4 Administration, Services and Community ..........................................................................................23

6.5 Media and Technology ...........................................................................................................................................26

6.6 Dictionaries..........................................................................................................................................................................28

6.7 Legislation and Status..............................................................................................................................................29

6.8 Economic Life ....................................................................................................................................................................29

6.9 Cross-cutting Initiatives ..........................................................................................................................................30


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1. THE VISION

Despite centuries of language shift from Irish toEnglish, the Irish language continues to surviveas a living community language in sometraditional Gaeltacht heartlands and it is also inuse on a daily basis by many people outside theGaeltacht.

The last hundred years has also seen a floweringof literature and other art forms through themedium of Irish, such that Irish is now a fully-fledged modern European language.

The objective of Government policy in relationto Irish is to increase on an incremental basis theuse and knowledge of Irish as a communitylanguage. Specifically, the Government’s aim isto ensure that as many citizens as possible arebilingual in both Irish and English. It is anintegral component of the Government’s Irishlanguage policy that close attention be given toits place in the Gaeltacht, particularly in light ofresearch which indicates that the language’sviability as a household and communitylanguage in the Gaeltacht is under threat.

The aim of Government policy is also to:

• increase the number of families throughoutthe country who use Irish as the dailylanguage of communication;

• provide linguistic support for the Gaeltacht asan Irish-speaking community and to recognisethe issues which arise in areas where Irish isthe household and community language;

• ensure that in public discourse and in publicservices the use of Irish or English will be, asfar as practical, a choice for the citizen tomake and that over time more and morepeople throughout the State will choose todo their business in Irish; and

• ensure that Irish becomes more visible in oursociety, both as a spoken language by ourcitizens and also in areas such as signage andliterature.

Irish is part of the culture and heritage ofNorthern Ireland and the promotion andprotection of the language there is also apriority for the Government.

The Government recognises the tremendousadvantage to its citizens of fluency in English,the most widely used language in internationalaffairs. The Government commits to ensuringthat this advantage is retained through thedevelopment of a bilingual society, where asmany people as possible can use Irish andEnglish with equal ease and facility. However,the Government also recognises that the focusof policy in the Gaeltacht needs to be onmaintaining the linguistic identity of thecommunity in the Gaeltacht as a distinctivelanguage region, rather than one ofbilingualism.

While strengthening the position of thelanguage within our education system is a keyfocus of this Strategy, the transmission of Irish asa living language within the family andbetween the generations is critically important.Our overall approach is to create a supportiveframework and the opportunities in which Irishcan be passed on in a natural way withinhouseholds and communities. This is of specialimportance in the context of the Gaeltacht.

The future of the language depends on peoplewho make a positive choice to embrace theopportunities that this Strategy will create. Thisis the challenge for all of us.



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Article 8 of the Constitution of Ireland statesthat:

“The Irish language as the nationallanguage is the first official language.”

This 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language isbuilt on the foundation of the Constitutionalstatus of the language and follows on theGovernment Statement on the Irish Language1

published in December 2006. That Statementaffirmed the Government’s support for thedevelopment and preservation of the Irishlanguage and the Gaeltacht and set out 13policy objectives to that end:

Objective 1: The special status given to theIrish language in the Constitution and inlegislation such as the Official Languages Act2003, the Education Act 1998, the Planningand Development Act 2000 and theBroadcasting Act 20012, will be upheld.

Objective 2: The Official Languages Act willbe fully implemented. The right of the publicto use Irish in dealings with the State andwith other bodies will be developed and theappropriate arrangements to deliver this willbe put in place.

Objective 3: The Irish language communityinside and outside the Gaeltacht will be givenencouragement and support to transmit Irishto the next generation as a living householdlanguage. Towards this end, a wide range ofservices in Irish will be provided.

Objective 4: The Gaeltacht will be givenspecial support as an Irish-speaking area.

Objective 5: Irish will be taught as anobligatory subject from primary to LeavingCertificate level. The curriculum will fosteroral and written competence in Irish amongstudents and an understanding of its value tous as a people. This will be supported byenhanced investment in professionaldevelopment and ongoing support forteachers, as well as in provision of textbooksand resources, and support for innovativeapproaches to teaching and learning.

Objective 6: A high standard of all-Irisheducation will be provided to school studentswhose parents/guardians so wish.Gaelscoileanna will continue to be supportedat primary level and all-Irish provision at post-primary level will be developed to meetfollow-on demand.

Objective 7: Irish language pre-schooleducation will continue to be supported andthird-level education through Irish will befurther developed.

Objective 8: The State will continue tosupport Foras na Gaeilge in the context of theBritish-Irish Agreement Act 1999.

Objective 9: High quality broadcast servicesthrough the medium of Irish will be ensured,especially through the continuousdevelopment of RTÉ, Raidió na Gaeltachtaand TG4.

Objective 10: Every assistance and support willbe given to the European Union inimplementing the decision to make Irish aworking and official language in the EU from1 January 2007.

Objective 11: In order to promote Irishnationally and to preserve and strengthen itin the Gaeltacht, the work being done by theDepartment of Community, Equality andGaeltacht Affairs and by agencies and bodieswhich come under its aegis will continue tobe reinforced.

Objective 12: The use of the Irish language byAn Garda Síochána and the Defence Forceswill be continued and developed.

Objective 13: The Government recognises thevital role of the Irish language voluntarysector and will continue to support it.

It is also an objective of Government to supportthe promotion and teaching of Irish abroad,through the Department of Foreign Affairs andthe Department of Community, Equality andGaeltacht Affairs. Particular emphasis has beenplaced on supporting the teaching of Irish inthird-level colleges in a range of differentcountries.

2. POLICY CONTEXT

1. http://www.pobail.ie/en/IrishLanguage/StatementontheIrishLanguage2006/

2. Now the Broadcasting Act 2009


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In broad terms, therefore, the elements thatmake up the modern-day context for the Irishlanguage include the following:

• Ireland is a bilingual State in which Irish is thefirst official language in accordance witharticle 8 of the Constitution of Ireland;

• In the context of our European heritage, Irishis the oldest spoken literary language inEurope;

• According to the 2006 Census of Population,42% of the population of Ireland have acertain ability to speak Irish - that equates tosome 1.66 million people aged 3 years ormore out of a total resident population ofsome 4.2 million;

• Irish is the main community and householdlanguage of 3% of the country’s population;

• According to surveys and opinion polls, mostof the population believes that Irish is ofparticular importance for themselvespersonally and/or for the country as a whole;and

• Irish was afforded official and workinglanguage status at EU level with effect from 1January 2007.

This Strategy seeks to build on the foregoingcontext and objectives by setting out a series ofareas for action to benefit the language and theGaeltacht over the next 20 years. TheGovernment believes that the Irish language isof particular importance for the people, societyand culture of Ireland. As a spoken communitylanguage, Irish is unique to this country and is,therefore, of crucial importance to the identityof the Irish people and to world heritage. In thiscontext, particular importance is attached to thepreservation and promotion of Irish in theGaeltacht in relation to conserving andprotecting the heritage, culture and richness ofthe language where it remains as a householdand community language. It is also recognisedthat the Strategy’s objective of widening theuse of the language nationwide is conferredwith greater authority by the Irish language’sstatus as a community language in theGaeltacht.

This Strategy is underpinned by an analysis3 ofthe situation facing the Irish language,undertaken on behalf of the Minister forCommunity, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs by ateam of international consultants with expertiseon language issues, led by Fiontar, DCU. Inrelation to the Gaeltacht, the approach in thisStrategy has been informed byrecommendations in the ComprehensiveLinguistic Study of the Use of Irish in theGaeltacht4, undertaken on behalf of theMinister for Community, Equality and GaeltachtAffairs by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge,NUI Galway.

The Strategy has also been supported by a studyundertaken by Fr. Micheál Mac Gréil and FergalRhatigan of the Department of Sociology NUIMaynooth on Attitudes towards Competence inand Use of the Irish Language 2007-2008. Thestudy results show that positive attitudes andaspirations for Irish have been maintained atvery high levels since the author’s previousstudies in 1973 (Prejudice and Tolerance InIreland) and 1996 (Prejudice in IrelandRevisited). The results show overwhelmingsupport for preservation of Irish: 52.5% wantIrish preserved in the Gaeltacht and revived foruse in arts and culture outside, while 40.9%want Irish revived and used for public purposesthroughout the State.

International Perspectives

The value of linguistic diversity is recognisedinternationally. Languages are humankind’sprincipal tools for interacting and for expressingideas, emotions, knowledge, memories andvalues. Languages are also primary vehicles ofcultural expression and intangible culturalheritage, essential to the identity of individualsand groups. The key role of language in theexpression and transmission of cultural heritageis recognised in the 2003 UN Convention for theSafeguarding of the Intangible CulturalHeritage.5

3. http://www.pobail.ie/en/IrishLanguage/

4. http://www.pobail.ie/en/AnGhaeltacht/LinguisticStudyoftheGaeltacht/

5. http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00006


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Safeguarding languages such as Irish is thus acrucial task in maintaining cultural diversityworldwide. UNESCO6 reports that half of the6,700 languages spoken today are in danger ofdisappearing before the century ends, a processthat can be slowed only if urgent action is takenby Governments and speaker communities.UNESCO’s Endangered Languages Programmemobilises international cooperation to focusattention on this grave situation and topromote innovative solutions fromcommunities, experts and authorities. The mostrecent edition of UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’sLanguages in Danger7 classified Irish as“definitely endangered”. This status has sincebeen improved to “vulnerable”, in the light ofinformation about the measures taken byGovernment to support the language in recentyears.

The 2003 UN Convention for the Safeguardingof the Intangible Cultural Heritage8 recognisesthe vital role of language in the expression andtransmission of living heritage. All intangiblecultural heritage depends on language for itsday-to-day vitality and for being passed on tothe next generation. In relation to oraltraditions, whether it be song, poetry orfolklore, language is not only the vehicle thatcontains the cultural heritage, it is its veryessence. As well as analysing the situation oflanguages under pressure the world over,UNESCO has developed a framework fordetermining the vitality of a language in orderto assist Governments and others in policydevelopment, identification of needs andappropriate safeguarding measures. Thisframework9 based on the following nine criteriahas also informed the development of thisStrategy:

LanguageVitality

Intergenerational language transmission

Community members’ attitudestowards their own language

Shifts in domains of language use

Governmental andinstitutional language attitudesand policies, including official

status and useType and qualityof documentation

Response to newdomains and media

Availability of materialsfor language

education and literacy

Proportion of speakerswithin the total population

Absolute numberof speakers

6. http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00136

7. http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00136

8. http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=17716&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

9. http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00142


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The Government’s Strategy as set out in thisdocument is organised around:

• increasing the knowledge of Irish;

• creating opportunities for the use of Irish;and

• fostering positive attitudes towards its use.

We know from the situation that faces Irish thatlanguage use does not follow automaticallyfrom ability to speak the language. Actuallanguage use results from the co-presence ofability, opportunity, and positive attitudes. ThisStrategy seeks, therefore, to create positivecircumstances for greater use by our people ofthe language ability that they have and for areal increase in that ability over time.

The Strategy demonstrates the Government’ssupport for the development and preservationof the Irish language by a long-termcommitment to a coherent and comprehensiveapproach to the future of the language as aliving, spoken language with a firm position inthe education system, at the highest levels ofthe political system, in public administration andin the Gaeltacht.

As already stated, Irish is part of the culture andheritage of Northern Ireland and the promotionand protection of the language there is apriority for the Government.

In the context of the Government’s continuingcommitment to the full implementation of theGood Friday Agreement, it will continue tosupport Foras na Gaeilge, an agency of theNorth/South implementation body charged withpromoting the language on an all-island basis,and to ensure its continued effective operation.The Government’s Strategy will have abeneficial impact on speakers of the Irishlanguage in Northern Ireland. The Governmentwill also continue to press for the fullimplementation of commitments relating to theIrish language, which fall to the BritishGovernment and the Northern IrelandExecutive, including the introduction of an IrishLanguage Act and the enhancement, protectionand development of the Irish language inNorthern Ireland.


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As already referred to, the GovernmentStatement on the Irish Language 2006 identifiedkey policy objectives through which support forIrish and the Gaeltacht will be advanced. Theareas for action set out below are associatedand grouped in relation to those objectives andwill be addressed in phases as follows:

Establishment PhaseThe initial phase will be devoted to thecommunication of the goals and content ofthe Strategy and setting up the requiredorganisational and operational structures. Inaddition, the overall resources required willbe allocated and the ongoing monitoring,evaluation and modification procedures willbe agreed and established. Operational planswill be requested and received from allimplementing public agencies. Key prioritymeasures will be established.

Implementation Phase I - Laying theFoundationsDuring the first years of the Strategy, long-term measures will be put in place so that thesupply of qualified teachers and otherspecialists are available, or the systems fortheir preparation are in place, early in theStrategy. In addition, a considerable numberof measures will be fully implemented orcommenced in this phase, including thepreparation of materials for languageeducation and literacy.

Implementation Phase II - Expanding andDeepening This phase can be seen as having three sub-phases, but overall it involves:implementation of relevant measures;undertaking of rolling evaluations; andconducting of campaigns for promotion andfostering of positive attitudes to thelanguage. The first graduates of revisedteacher education programmes will beproduced and these will be deployed toschools and other education institutions.

During this phase, Ireland will celebrate the100th anniversaries of the Easter Rising andof our independence and these occasions willbe linked to this Strategy, showcasing resultsattained, undertaking a major review ofoutcomes, and mobilising public involvementand support around the goals, spirit andvision of the Strategy.

Implementation Phase III: ConsolidatingThe consolidation phase will be directedtowards mainstreaming all measures. It willbuild on the increased abilities in Irish amongour people, expanded opportunities to useIrish and the active encouragement ofpositive attitudes towards Irish achieved inprevious phases.

The provision of appropriate resources andsupport will be crucial to the implementation ofthe Strategy. Provision will be overseen by theDepartment of Community, Equality andGaeltacht Affairs and functions will be allocatedto an existing agency (or agencies), or sourcedfrom the private sector, as appropriate.

Arrangements will be put in place to:

• monitor, support and adapt practicallanguage planning activities from othersocieties;

• initiate, survey and review materials whichfacilitate the use of Irish;

• host a central database of Irish mediummaterials, templates and IT applications;

• prepare guides and materials to assistindividuals and voluntary organisations topromote Irish;

• provide a national public helpline;

• put in place a national information centreand clearing house for translation servicesand other language-related services;

• hold a national database of good practiceactivities in language planning;

• help develop supports for local area initiativesand the capacity to develop and manage suchinitiatives; and

• promote the development of languagemanagement systems in a variety of contexts.

Many of the priorities for action in this Strategydepend on the availability of such supports andresources and their organisation is, therefore, ahigh priority for early attention.

3. A PHASED STRATEGY


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Following on from the Government Statementon the Irish Language 2006, the headline goalhas been set of increasing over 20 years:

• the number of people with a knowledge ofIrish from the current 1.66 million to 2million; and

• the number of daily speakers of Irish from thecurrent level of approximately 83,000 to250,000.

The achievement of these ambitious goals hasbeen the overriding consideration informulating the decisions on areas for action inthis Strategy.

The specific objectives involved in thepreparation of the Strategy are to:

• increase the number of speakers who speakIrish on a daily basis outside the educationsystem from 83,000 to 250,000;

• increase the number of speakers who speakIrish on a daily basis in the Gaeltacht by 25%in overall terms as its invigoration will becritical to the overall Strategy. It is envisagedthat specific targets for individual Gaeltachtareas will be set out in the proposed locallanguage plans; and

• increase the number of people that use Stateservices through the Irish language and canaccess television, radio and print mediathrough the language.

4. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGY


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The 20-Year Strategy will be integrated acrossthe routine operations of the agencies of theState, with strong Government direction andleadership. All sections of public administrationand key national and local stakeholders have arole to play in its implementation.“Normalisation” of the language is required inorder to expand the use of Irish. This term drawson the experience of other languages whoseroles have diminished. Irish will only attain amore secure social position through a campaignof active awareness and positive attitudes aimedat reversing its marginalisation, as well asgreater unself-conscious use of the language formainstream and routine purposes ofcommunication. This task requires that allrelevant agencies co-operate in pursuing thegoals and programmes of the Strategy and thata coherent and effective management structurebe in place for the Strategy. It also requires afocus on developing expertise and skills amongthe teaching profession - given the criticalimportance of the school in influencinglanguage awareness and behaviour - as well asin the wider society, in highlighting the culturalvalue and importance of Irish to the Irish people.

The following will be the key Governmentstructures to deliver the Strategy:

• The Cabinet Committee on Irish and theGaeltacht, chaired by An Taoiseach, willmaintain oversight of progress and report toGovernment as necessary.

• A Senior Officials Group made up of high-level officials from relevant Departments willsupport the Cabinet Committee.

• There will continue to be a senior Ministerand a Government Department (theDepartment of Community, Equality andGaeltacht Affairs) with central responsibilityfor Irish language affairs.

Planning and implementation of the Strategywill be directed from a Strategy Unit within thatDepartment, with dedicated staff and thefunction of assigning duties andimplementation roles to implementationagencies, as necessary.

The Strategy Unit will be responsible for:

• overseeing the strategic planning process;

• monitoring the development of resources;

• ensuring cross-departmental implementationof initiatives;

• providing expert advice;

• overseeing operational plans as developed bythe implementation bodies; and

• publishing updates and relevantdocumentation for public information.

A small number of seconded staff with expertisein public administration management, languageplanning and education may be assigned to theUnit for specific tasks, if necessary. Evaluations,as required, or specific services may becommissioned by the Unit from existingagencies or from the private sector. Sectoralplans and commitments will be deliveredthrough relevant Departments and agencies.

With regard to the main implementationagency to be responsible for delivering theStrategy, it is proposed to establish an IrishLanguage and Gaeltacht Authority (Údarás naGaeilge agus na Gaeltachta) that will functionon a national basis, incorporating relevantfunctions currently performed by Údarás naGaeltachta, and other State and non-Governmental organisations, as appropriate.While the implementation of certain Gaeltachtpolicies and plans will continue to be theresponsibility of the Department of Community,Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, it may, however,devolve functions to the Irish Language andGaeltacht Authority, as appropriate. Thespecific role and functions of the proposed newAuthority will be set down in draft legislation,to be published in 2011.

Foras na Gaeilge will continue to deliver on itsstatutory responsibilities in relation to Irish.These include undertaking supportive projectsand grant-aiding bodies and groups to supportthe language as appropriate, developingterminologies and dictionaries, supporting Irish-medium education and the teaching of the Irishlanguage on the island of Ireland, and generallyfacilitating and encouraging the use of thelanguage in public and private life. In fullycarrying out its remit, Foras na Gaeilge willremain a key element of the support structurefor the language in both parts of the island.

5. IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURES


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The Strategy sets out areas of action under ninekey headings:

• Education

• The Gaeltacht

• Family Transmission of the Language - EarlyIntervention

• Administration, Services and Community

• Media and Technology

• Dictionaries

• Legislation and Status

• Economic Life

• Cross-cutting Initiatives

6.1 AREAS FOR ACTION - EDUCATION

Recent reports in regard to Irish in schoolsindicate the following:

• Inspectors judged that Irish was taught to agood or very good standard in only half ofthe primary classrooms inspected, and that ina third of classrooms, Irish was taughtthrough the medium of English. Pupils in justover half of lessons were able to expressthemselves satisfactorily in Irish;

• The Harris report (July 2007) indicated that inEnglish medium and Gaeltacht primaryschools, there was a fall of 36.1% and 40.5%respectively in the numbers of pupilsachieving mastery in the development oflistening, vocabulary and comprehension skillsbetween 1985 and 2002. While a little overhalf of pupils mastered fluency of oraldescription and communication in 1985 inEnglish medium schools, less than one thirdmastered them in 2002. The study also founda marked decline in teachers’ confidence,with almost 25% of teachers in Englishmedium schools rating their own standards ofspoken Irish as weak;

• At post-primary level, reports on a third ofschools refer to limited oral ability among

students at junior cycle. Steps have beentaken in the interim to increase the marksavailable for the voluntary oral at junior cycleand the national oral in the LeavingCertificate to 40% for all new entrants whobegan second-level schooling in 2007/8.

While the foregoing facts indicate the scale ofthe challenge, the actions proposed in the areaof education are designed to achieve theunderlying principles of the Strategy to:

• enhance and extend ability in Irish moredeeply and among larger numbers of people;

• reverse negative attitudes towards Irishlanguage usage and foster positive attitudesin their place; and

• expand the available opportunities for use ofIrish within the education system byextending Irish as a medium of instruction, aswell as a subject, and by linking schoollanguage learning to the informal use of Irishin recreational, cultural and other out-of-school activities.

The Government Statement on the Irish Language2006 contains three education objectives:

Objective 5: Irish will be taught as an obligatorysubject from primary to Leaving Certificatelevel. The curriculum will foster oral andwritten competence in Irish among students andan understanding of its value to us as a people.This will be supported by enhanced investmentin professional development and ongoingsupport for teachers, as well as in provision oftextbooks and resources, and in support forinnovative approaches to teaching and learning.

Objective 6: A high standard of all-Irisheducation will be provided to school studentswhose parents/guardians so wish.Gaelscoileanna will continue to be supported atprimary level and all-Irish provision at post-primary level will be developed to meet follow-on demand.

Objective 7: Irish language pre-school educationwill continue to be supported and third-leveleducation through Irish will be furtherdeveloped.

6. AREAS FOR ACTION


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Links to out-of-school usage

The education system is one of the criticalengines for generating the linguistic ability onwhich this 20-Year Strategy is premised. Informal schooling, the State can actively assistthe development of the linguistic capabilities ofour population. The achievement by theeducation authorities of a more systematic andintensive national focus on the universallearning of Irish is therefore a central goal.

The critical need to give life to the Irishlanguage outside the classroom for the youngpeople who study it in the formal educationsystem is a widespread conclusion of languagerevitalisation efforts throughout the world.Fostering the creation of youth culture andidentity, and their appropriate Irish languageforms, involves providing opportunities for itsnatural use and creating ICT mediated networksof speakers. The education sector will work inpartnership with relevant agencies in thisregard.

The Department of Community, Equality andGaeltacht Affairs, in cooperation with theDepartment of Education and Skills, willcontinue to progress the development of theIrish summer college system in the Gaeltacht.Particular emphasis will be placed on assistingthe colleges and the householders that provideaccommodation for language learners tomaintain and increase the effectiveness andstandard of the services provided. Inpartnership with CONCOS - the umbrellaorganisation for the colleges - and thehouseholds in the Gaeltacht, the Department ofCommunity, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs willwork to ensure an Irish-speaking experiencethroughout, where students will come intocontact with Irish as a living spoken language ineveryday life. In this regard, the Department ofCommunity, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs willassist with the development of a familylanguage learning experience so that networksof natural use of Irish can be promoted, withmechanisms for their continuation throughoutthe year. Programmes targeted at traineeprimary teachers will benefit from beingrestructured and enhanced, and this will formpart of wider reforms that the Teaching Councilwill be promoting in initial education coursesfor primary teachers.

Partial Immersion

From as early as possible in ImplementationPhase II, it is proposed to move towards asituation where partial Irish languageimmersion will be offered to all children. Thiswill be implemented on a phased basis in linewith the progress made in strengtheningteachers’ competences in this area through acomprehensive investment programme ofprofessional development for teachers. Thiscould be delivered through the teaching ofsome mainstream subject matter in Irish in theinfant classes, and be complemented by thepreparation in Phase II of designated subjectareas to be taught through Irish in the middleand upper years in primary schools. Ultimately,the aim will be that by Implementation Phase III,all students in mainstream schools undertakingthe Irish language as a core subject will beoffered the experience of partial immersioneducation in other subjects. These measures willbe achieved on a phased basis, supported byinvestment in the upskilling of teachers. Usewill be made, as appropriate, of incentives suchas the GLEO (Gaeilge Labhartha san EarnáilOideachais) award scheme to encourage schoolsin this area. The strategy will be supported bythe development and provision of resources andmaterials for schools.

It will continue to be national policy to promoteimmersion education through Irish in all subjectsother than English in Gaeltacht and Irish-medium schools (gaelscoileanna) and pre-schools (naíonraí).

National Assessment

National assessment of aural and oralcompetence in Irish will be implemented at bothjunior cycle and senior cycle level for allrecognised second-level schools. It is recognisedthat oral assessment at junior cycle can onlyrealistically be achieved in the context of amodel of local assessment by class teachers withexternal moderation. Standardised testinstruments at primary level are beingdeveloped at present in Irish.

Innovations in curriculum require thedevelopment of appropriate instruments andprocedures for the assessment of learning Irish.A beneficial linkage can be made with theCommon European Framework of Reference forLanguages (CEFRL) for defining the linguisticand communicative standards that theassessment procedures will verify.


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Curriculum for teaching of Irish

At primary level, the curriculum is relatively newand there would appear to be consensus that itis in keeping with good practice and currentthinking on language teaching. In this context,there will be greater focus on more explicitarticulation of the linguistic objectives at thevarious levels of primary schooling and thedevelopment of high-quality materials tosupport the implementation of the curriculum.

At primary level, a separate Irish curriculum forGaeltacht schools and gaelscoileanna has beendeveloped which takes into account thedifferent developmental language requirementsof students in English and Irish-medium schools.The curriculum in Irish-medium schools will beadjusted to provide for a strengthenedemphasis on the role of Irish in promotingchildren's cognitive and affective developmentgenerally.

At post-primary level, differentiation willcontinue to be provided by offering Irish atthree levels in the Junior and LeavingCertificates and there will be a strong emphasison fostering oral, aural and written competencein Irish, and on ensuring a significant shift inemphasis towards Irish as a spoken language,where students can communicate and interactin a spontaneous way, and where Irish is spokenevery day in schools.

A revised syllabus in Leaving Certificate Irish isbeing implemented in all schools for initialexamination in 2012 and is designed to providefor increased oral interaction in the classroomand to allow for an increase to 40% in themarks for oral assessment. The National Councilfor Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) willundertake a review of the implementation ofthe syllabus in the light of the experiences ofthe first cohort of candidates under the revisedassessment system. Among the issues to beconsidered in that review will be the success ofthe syllabus in addressing appropriately thelearning needs of all students, including thosewith a high proficiency in Irish, particularly inGaeltacht and Irish-medium schools. Ifnecessary, further development of the syllabusmay be undertaken in the light of the findingsof the review.

Pre-school and parental supportprogrammes

Pre-school and non-formal learning areimportant dimensions of Irish languagerevitalisation. All the research in this area hasshown that it is easiest to acquire a newlanguage in the earliest years. As such, it isintended that some level of pre-school Irishlanguage education will be offered in alllocalities.

Childcare and pre-school facilities will befacilitated to offer an Irish language dimensionand create a language-friendly environment forchildren, for example, through provision ofsupports such as Irish language DVDs geared foryoung children, and teaching of nursery rhymesand games in Irish. The focus, in particular, is toensure that there is Irish-medium pre-schoolprovision (naíonraí) in every area where there isan Irish-medium primary school, and in otherareas where there is a demand.

Parents need to receive active reinforcement oftheir Irish literacy so that they are able tocontinue to support their children’s increasinglearning in Irish in the primary school years.Such training is important for other educationand care-giving professionals and will beextended to day care workers, crèche workersand members of community associations,especially in areas where a moderatepercentage of the population are Irish speakers.

Specialist Subject Provision

Services in recreational education (such as visualand performing arts) outside the formalcurriculum of schools will be included in localarea language plans during primary schoolyears.

Teacher Education

Generating the teacher force to achieveobjectives regarding competence in the Irishlanguage is critical, as are links between schools,recreation and youth centres, clubs andactivities. In this regard, it is noted that theTeaching Council, as the statutory body chargedwith determining standards for the teachingprofession, has responsibility for the review andaccreditation of initial teacher educationprogrammes at primary and post-primary level.


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The Teaching Council will be consulted with aview to implementing the two-prongedapproach proposed in this Strategy to preparethe teaching force to meet the proposedobjectives. To achieve Objective 5 of theGovernment Statement on the Irish Language2006, discussions will be entered into with theTeaching Council with a view to workingprogressively to raise the standard of Irishlanguage competency for teaching the subjectof Irish. Specific initiatives are proposed whichinclude the following:

Mainstream Education – Primary System

In order to ensure that the professional Irishstandard (Gaeilge Ghairmiúil) is achieved in allteacher education colleges, it is envisaged thatthe Teaching Council, as part of itsaforementioned review, will strengthen and setstandards for the teaching of professional Irishacross all initial teacher education provision.

It is proposed that:

• Steps will be taken to encourage the use ofIrish generally inside and outside theclassroom;

• Other subjects of the initial teacher educationprogramme, in addition to professional Irish,will be delivered through the medium of Irish;

• In the area of teacher education, studentteachers will follow a defined programme oflanguage teaching in the Gaeltacht. Thetuition time and attendance of studentteachers who attend Gaeltacht courses willalso be increased;

• A new Gaeltacht scholarship scheme will beintroduced for primary teachers to attendintensive courses in the Gaeltacht;

• Colleges of Education will be encouraged toput in place initiatives to attract students ofhigh ability in Irish from Gaeltacht, Irish-medium and other schools. Up to 20% ofplaces in Colleges of Education will beretained for students educated through Irishin Gaeltacht schools and gaelscoileanna, withstudents in English-medium schools also beingeligible, subject to a high performancethreshold in Irish in the Leaving Certificate;

• An extended Gaeltacht placement will be putin place for a significant proportion of traineeteachers in which students will follow adefined programme of language teaching;

• The Irish language and Irish-medium teachingcomponents of the Bachelor of Educationdegree course will be bolstered, including theprovision of intensive Irish courses asappropriate in consultation with the TeachingCouncil; and

• A new specialisation in Irish-medium primaryteaching (partial or total immersion) will beintroduced in Colleges of Education.

Irish-Medium Education – PrimarySystem

A post-graduate programme specificallytargeted at the needs of Irish-medium schoolswill be introduced. This new post-graduateprogramme for a Diploma in Irish LanguageEducation (Primary Teaching) will providespecialised skills in Irish to those who havealready completed a teacher educationprogramme.

Irish-Medium Education – Post-PrimarySystem

A new Post-Graduate Diploma in Educationdelivered in full through the medium of Irishwill be introduced.

To further assist the realisation of Objective 5and Objective 6 of the Government Statementon the Irish Language 2006, a National Centrefor Irish-medium Teacher ProfessionalDevelopment will be established in an existingeducational institution. This will be a centre ofexcellence, aiding and advising the Colleges ofEducation in preparing teachers for the entirecycle of Irish-medium schools throughconsultancy, professional development activities,accredited training programmes and resourcedevelopment. The National Centre will work inconjunction with the Colleges of Education andmobility of professional staff between alleducation providers and systems and theNational Centre will be encouraged. There willbe a formal qualification available for allprimary and secondary school teachers tosupport them to teach in Irish-medium schools.


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This will be an attractive and desirableadditional qualification for those seeking towork in Irish-medium schools and a usefulindicator for employers that applicants have thenecessary linguistic competency.

The new academic programmes - Batchelor ofEducation, Graduate Diploma in Education(Primary Teaching), and Post-Graduate Diplomain Education - as well as the operation of theNational Centre for Irish-medium TeacherProfessional Development will be offered foropen public competitive tendering among therelevant existing educational institutions.

The professional development opportunitiesidentified above will be supplemented bysignificantly increased investment in theprovision of short cycle and on-line professionaldevelopment options for serving teachersprovided through the curriculum supportservices and the Education Centre network atprimary and post-primary level.

In further support of these measures toaugment the position of the language in theeducation system at all levels, specialrecognition will be given to schools where thereis good practice in teaching Irish. A wide rangeof textbooks, new technology materials andresources to support the teaching of Irish andteaching through Irish will be developed andprovided.

A scholarship scheme for children fromdisadvantaged areas to attend courses in theGaeltacht, as well as funding for Irish summercolleges throughout the country, will beprovided.

The arrangements for exemption from studyingIrish in schools will be reviewed to ensure thatexemptions are based on objective languagecriteria.

Higher-Level Education in Ireland

University level and non-university adultprogrammes in Irish will continue to besupported and developed and professionalspecialisations provided.

In furthering the development of third-leveleducation through Irish, the Government willtake the following into account:

• There has been significant recent investmentby the Department of Community, Equalityand Gaeltacht Affairs and Údarás naGaeltachta in this sector both inside andoutside the Gaeltacht, including in particularsupport for Acadamh na hOllscolaíochtaGaeilge in NUI Galway and Fiontar in DublinCity University; and

• There is an existing statutory framework forthird level education in Irish, including theobligation on the Higher Education Authority(HEA) under the Higher Education Act 1971to: “bear constantly in mind the national aimsof restoring the Irish language and preservingand developing the national culture and shallendeavour to promote the attainment ofthese aims”. This is further strengthened insection 12 of the Universities Act 1997, whichprovides that the objectives of all universitiesinclude “[promotion of] the official languagesof the State, with special regard to thepreservation, promotion and use of the Irishlanguage and the preservation andpromotion of the distinctive cultures ofIreland”. The special role of NUI Galway inthe provision of third-level programmesthrough the medium of the Irish language isrecognised in the University College Galway(Amendment) Act 2006.

Third-level education through the medium ofIrish needs to be of high quality and delivered ina strategic and coordinated way to ensure:

• opportunities for students to avail ofsignificant periods of placements/study in theGaeltacht to enrich their command of thelanguage in an environment where it is thenormal spoken language;

• diversification in the range of disciplinesoffered, with a particular focus on marketrequirements for people competent in Irish;

• an output of highly qualified graduates withspecific skills needed to serve the nationaland EU status of Irish;

• development of particular specialisation ineach college and restriction of duplication ofprovision to no more than one or twolocations;


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• value for money and quality assurance inresearch and teaching, also avoidingduplication or fragmentation; and

• development of courses and accreditation inProfessional Irish for as many professions aspossible.

Funding will be provided to enable the HigherEducation Authority to put in place a specificprogramme to strategically develop this sector.

The accessibility of Irish language classes andactivities and the creation of an atmosphere oncampus, which recognises that the language isan integral part of college social as well asacademic life, is important to normalisation of itsuse. Third level institutions have an importantrole in influencing whole of life language choiceand use among students and in supporting locallanguage initiatives in the wider community andwill be encouraged to do so.

Adult Language Learning

Additional opportunities will be afforded toadults interested in learning the language or inincreasing their ability to speak Irish. Anaccredited adult Irish language learningprogramme, catering for all levels, will berecognised as the agreed national Irishlanguage-learning programme.

To foster excellence at a high academic level inthe study of Irish, the Government will build onthe work of the Dublin Institute of AdvancedStudies and the universities in the developmentof research and teaching of Celtic Studies andstrengthen Ireland’s position as a world centreof excellence in this discipline.

Advice and Support Services

Information and resource materials will beproduced for various categories of schoolprofessionals such as speech therapists,guidance counsellors, careers advisors andothers promoting the benefits of bilingualism(and especially of Irish language learning).Specific advice will be addressed to thefollowing groups:

• Children whose first language is Irish and/orchildren attending Irish-medium schools.It is important that all professional and para-professional staff consistently support the

maintenance of Irish. These professionalgroups will be made aware of the vastliterature supporting the intellectual, speech,and career benefits of bilingualism. Specificadvice will be offered to support the bilingualneeds of children with special needs.

• Children whose first language is English and/or children attending English-medium schools.Similarly for such children, school staffconcerned with special needs will be providedwith information supporting the intellectual,speech and career benefits of bilingualism -and specifically the advantages of learningand using Irish.

• Immigrant children in Ireland.Newly-arrived immigrant children in Irelandwill also be afforded the opportunity toparticipate in all Irish language activities andspecific attention will be paid to theirlanguage learning needs.

Education in the Gaeltacht

All the above measures apply equally to theGaeltacht. In addition to these, theGovernment acknowledges the specific difficultyof accommodating the needs of pupils withdiverse linguistic abilities in Gaeltacht schools.This can be complicated further depending onthe status of the Irish language within theschool community. It is acknowledged thatteaching resources are a major issue forGaeltacht schools, both at primary and second-level. It may be noted that, with investment byForas na Gaeilge and An Chomhairle umOideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta(COGG), there has been a considerableimprovement in the availability of teachingresources in Irish, although there needs to besustained investment in this area. The needs inthis area apply also to gaelscoileanna. Inaddition, there is a critical need to provideresources for Irish in English-medium primaryschools.

At the same time, the Government is fully awareof the importance of the education system inthe maintenance of the language in theGaeltacht and this objective was encompassedin the Education Act 1998. In addition to thoseinitiatives already outlined, the Government hasdecided to progress a number of actions in theGaeltacht as part of this Strategy:


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• A review of the Gaeltacht scholarship schemeoperated by the Department of Educationand Skills will take place with the aim ofincreasing its effectiveness as an Irishlanguage support mechanism;

• Measures will be taken to progress thedevelopment of the Irish language educationresource centre in Baile Bhuirne, Co Cork;

• A new language acquisition unit at primarylevel will be developed in each of the threemain Gaeltacht regions;

• Provision will also be made for intensivesummer/evening courses in Irish for post-primary pupils in the Gaeltacht who needadditional support;

• Designated inspectors will continue to bedeployed by the Department of Educationand Skills for Gaeltacht schools and forgaelscoileanna;

• The present approach to Gaeltacht SummerColleges will be reviewed with a view to morecoherent State involvement in the regulationand development of these colleges, increasingthe effectiveness and standard of the servicesprovided, and ensuring an improved andmore consistent curriculum design process;

• It will continue to be national policy topromote immersion education through Irishin all subjects other than English in Gaeltachtand Irish-medium schools and in pre-schools(naíonraí);

• A review of immersion provision at post-primary level in Irish-medium schools(gaelscoileanna) and in the Gaeltacht will becarried out;

• Schemes operated by the Department ofCommunity, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairswhich support the education system in theGaeltacht (such as supports for Irish languageassistants and other supports in Gaeltachtschools, as well as the system of home visitsfor linguistic support purposes) will bestrengthened in consultation with theDepartment of Education and Skills;

• All Gaeltacht students will continue to havethe opportunity to receive their educationthrough the medium of Irish. The Departmentof Education and Skills, in consultation withthe Department of Community, Equality and

Gaeltacht Affairs, will examine and implementsuitable arrangements for such provision inthe varying circumstances of each Gaeltachtarea; and

• Appropriate structural arrangements will bemade, in the context of any review of VECstructures nationally, for the provision of all-Irish secondary school education throughoutthe State, including in the Gaeltacht, and toensure that all staff in Irish-medium schoolsare capable of carrying out their dailybusiness through Irish and that an integratedapproach is taken to the provision of back-up,support and advisory services to Irish-mediumschools so that such services are provided inIrish where possible. Educational supportssuch as Irish language textbooks and audio-visual material will be made available to suchschools.

Establishment of Schools

The Education Act 1998 places specificobligations on the system to contribute to therealisation of national policy and objectives inrelation to Irish, to the maintenance of Irish asthe primary community language in Gaeltachtareas, and to promoting the language andcultural needs of students having regard to thechoices of their parents.

The promotion of the Irish language has beenan important aim of successive IrishGovernments and the Department of Educationand Skills has responded to the increaseddemands for Irish-medium schooling in recentyears. At primary level, this is evidenced in theincreased numbers of gaelscoileanna establishedoutside Gaeltacht areas. Since 2005, a total of17 new gaelscoileanna have been recognised bythe Department to give a total of 138recognised Irish-medium primary schools. Atpost-primary level, the number of gaelcholáistí(Irish-medium second-level schools) has grownto 45 (of which 13 have been established since2000) and this provision is supplemented by 10aonad (specialised Irish-medium units attachedto an existing second-level school) and 10 sruth(stream or Irish-speaking class within an English-medium school). Both the aonad and sruthstructure facilitate the provision of Irish-mediumeducation in cases where there is significantdemand for education in Irish but where thisdemand would be insufficient for anindependent Irish-medium school.


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The population increase over the past ten yearsor so has resulted in a requirement to providesignificant additional school places in someareas of the country and this increase isexpected to continue in the short to mediumterm. There are increasing demands fordiversity of provision of school type, includingIrish-medium education, distributed throughoutthe country in areas of both static and growingpopulation. These growing demands haverequired a revision of the procedures for therecognition of new primary schools. Pendingthe outcome of the review, the Department ofEducation and Skills has had to adopt an interimstrategy whereby it is only allowing newprimary schools to be established to cater fordemographic growth in order to deliver on theoverall priority that every child has a schoolplace available to them. The review, which iswell advanced, is being undertaken by theCommission on School Accommodation and allthe education partners are involved. Theoutcome of the review will result in theconsideration and adoption of newarrangements for the recognition of newprimary schools. The demands to extend theprovision of Irish-medium education at primarylevel will be considered in the context of thenew arrangements for the recognition of newschools being put in place.

At post-primary level, new arrangements for therecognition of second-level schools wereestablished in July 2010. These provide for anew framework involving the setting out ofclear criteria against which new second-levelschool applications are to be assessed. Thesecriteria envisage that new schools will only beestablished where there is demographicdemand and that new schools will typically be ina size range of 800 to 1000 pupils. The criteriaalso set out that a lower threshold of 400 willapply for gaelcholáistí having regard to thealternative of establishing an aonad within aschool.

An Chomhairle um OideachasGaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta(COGG)

An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agusGaelscolaíochta will play a key role in theimplementation of the Strategy in theeducation sector working in collaboration withexisting agencies. The Council will be

appropriately staffed and resourced to carry outits existing remit:

• to plan and co-ordinate the provision oftextbooks and aids to learning and teachingthrough Irish;

• to advise the Minister on policies relating tothe provision and promotion of educationthrough the medium of Irish in recognisedschools generally and in schools located in aGaeltacht area;

• to provide support services to those schoolsthrough the medium of Irish;

• to conduct research into any or all of thesematters; and

• to plan and co-ordinate the provision oftextbooks and aids to the learning andteaching of Irish and to conduct research intoand to advise the Minister on strategies whichhave as their objective the enhancement ofthe effectiveness of the teaching of Irish inrecognised schools and centres for education.

The role of COGG will be strengthened toreflect the need to address various issuesparticular to the teaching and learning of Irishin schools operating through the medium ofIrish, both inside and outside the Gaeltacht andthe teaching of Irish in all recognised schools.COGG will play a strong role in directly advisingIrish-medium schools on best practice in theprovision of education through the medium ofIrish.

With regard to the larger issue of the specificneeds of Gaeltacht and Irish-medium schools, ahigh-level group will review existing policiesand explore possible changes, including thedevelopment of a new policy for Gaeltacht andIrish-medium schools. Other possible functionsfor COGG will also be considered in the contextof these discussions.

The high-level group will have representationfrom relevant stakeholders, including theDepartment of Education and Skills, theDepartment of Community, Equality andGaeltacht Affairs, An Chomhairle um OideachasGaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, Foras naGaeilge and the new Irish Language andGaeltacht Authority.


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Third-Level Irish Courses Abroad

In 2006 the Department of Community, Equalityand Gaeltacht Affairs established a dedicatedfund to support the development of Irishlanguage courses in third-level institutionsoverseas. The objectives of the fund are topromote and foster goodwill for the Irishlanguage and indeed for Ireland and Irishculture in general across Europe, North Americaand Canada and to provide a platform fromwhich the Irish language can be assessed andshowcased as an international language. Thisincreases awareness of the Irish language andculture outside of Ireland and leads to linksbetween Ireland and the countries in whichthese institutions are located, resulting inpositive long-term impacts on the language. Italso provides an excellent opportunity topresent the Irish language to the academiccommunity worldwide and gives the Irishlanguage equal status to other Europeanlanguages being taught abroad. In addition,many students who study Irish in their owncountries continue their studies here in Irelandand as a consequence students from all over theworld attend courses in the Gaeltacht. Thisresults in bonds of friendship and a lifelonginterest and understanding of the rich languageand culture of this country.

Currently over 30 third-level colleges anduniversities in the USA, in European countriesand further afield are actively providing Irishlanguage and Celtic Studies’ programmes withintheir own institutions.

These measures by the Department ofCommunity, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs tosupport the teaching of Irish overseas (includingthe joint programme with the FulbrightCommission and the Ireland Canada UniversityFoundation) will be maintained as a vehicle toexpand the teaching and learning of Irish inuniversities outside Ireland.

6.2 AREAS FOR ACTION - THEGAELTACHT

In its Government Statement on the IrishLanguage 2006, the Government affirmed itspolicy to strengthen the Gaeltacht as an Irish-speaking community and ratified Governmentsupport for the Gaeltacht. The Statementcontains three objectives that refer to theGaeltacht:

Objective 3: The Irish language communityinside and outside the Gaeltacht will be givenencouragement and support to transmit Irish tothe next generation as a living householdlanguage. Towards this end, a wide range ofservices in Irish will be provided.

Objective 4: The Gaeltacht will be given specialsupport as an Irish-speaking area.

Objective 11: In order to promote Irishnationally and to strengthen it in the Gaeltacht,the work being done by the Department ofCommunity, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs andby agencies under its aegis will continue to bereinforced.

The 2007 Comprehensive Linguistic Study of theUse of Irish in the Gaeltacht recommends thatthe main strategic focus of language policy inthe Gaeltacht should be on supporting andempowering future generations of youngGaeltacht parents to raise their children throughIrish. The Study reinforces in particular theimportance of maintaining and increasing theproportion of active Irish speakers in Gaeltachtareas.

It is against this background that the majorchanges outlined in this Strategy are beingimplemented by Government. Thedevelopment of a comprehensive languageplanning system at community level in theGaeltacht is central to the strategy that will beput in place to ensure that Irish survives as thecommunity language in the Gaeltacht.


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Linguistic status of Gaeltachtcommunities – new legislation

The Government accepts the broad thrust of therecommendations in the ComprehensiveLinguistic Study of the Use of Irish in theGaeltacht with regard to Gaeltacht status beingbased on linguistic criteria. This will be givenstatutory status through a new Gaeltacht Act.The legal definition will be broadly based onthe criteria outlined in the Study with somefundamental modifications.

As already referred to, an Irish Language andGaeltacht Authority with responsibility for Irishlanguage matters throughout the State will beestablished. Its headquarters will be in theGaeltacht and it will assume responsibility forrelevant functions currently performed byÚdarás na Gaeltachta, as well as other State andnon-Governmental organisations, asappropriate. Legislation will be prepared in2011 for the establishment of this Authority.Regard will be had to both its Gaeltacht andwider national remit. The need for expertise inthe area of minority language planning will alsobe addressed when establishing its governingstructure. The new authority, Údarás na Gaeilgeagus na Gaeltachta, will retain the functionscurrently carried out by Údarás na Gaeltachta,including an enterprise function.

For language planning and implementationpurposes, the various types of languagemaintenance and strategic interventions(including integrated language plans) will bebased on the identified linguistic needs of thevarious communities with the intention ofincreasing the numbers of daily Irish speakers.

In the case of majority Irish-speakingcommunities, the emphasis will be on protectingand strengthening these strong languagecommunities by ensuring the linguisticsustainability of Irish as the communitylanguage of these regions. In the case of otherGaeltacht regions where daily Irish speakers area significant minority, the emphasis will be onstrengthening the Irish language communitynetworks that continue to exist there.

Communities that cannot comply with thecriteria in the new legislation will be afforded aperiod of two years to develop plans to ensurethat they maintain their status as Gaeltachtcommunities. Communities who fail to develop

acceptable sustainable plans within the two-year period will no longer be included in theGaeltacht.

Plans will be reviewed every seven years andareas that do not achieve the linguistic criteriafor the Gaeltacht set down in the new Act willcease to have Gaeltacht status. New areas mayalso be included in the Gaeltacht if they meetthe linguistic criteria laid down in the new Act.

Language Planning in the Gaeltacht

Under the new Act, a language planningprocess will be instigated whereby a languageplan will be prepared at community level foreach Gaeltacht district. These plans willintegrate the approach in relation to linguisticissues, education, physical planning, and socialand community development. Community co-operation and participation will be critical.Resources will be made available to implementthe language plans.

These plans will be first and foremost language-centred, incorporating all aspects of communitylife in these districts. In order to address thethreat to the sustainability of the Gaeltacht as alinguistic entity, priority will be given tolanguage planning activities necessary tostabilise the position of Irish as the communitylanguage. These language plans will compriseactivities/plans under the following headings:

• Education Planning;

• Family Support Services, including childcareservices, pre-school services, languageadvisory services for families, after-schoolservices, networks for Irish-speaking parentsand children, pre-marital and ante-nataladvice services, language awarenessprogramme for families, speech therapy andpsychological services, and public healthservices;

• Youth Services, including the promotion oflanguage awareness among the young in theGaeltacht, Gaeltacht Summer Colleges andcamps;

• Local Government Services;

• Local and Physical Planning, includinginfrastructural development, economicdevelopment, housing and settlement policy;


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• Community Development;

• Planning for economic, industrial and localbusiness development, including thepromotion of language awareness amongbusiness service providers in Gaeltachtdistricts;

• Development of Cultural/Educational Tourism;

• Religious Services;

• Care for the elderly;

• Care of children with special needs;

• Health Services; and

• Sport.

Future State expenditure on the language in theGaeltacht will be determined by reference to itslinguistic impact and particular priority will beafforded to linguistic supports for families andyoung people so as to ensure the continuedtransmission of the language from generationto generation.

Particular emphasis will be placed on thepromotion of an Irish language youth culture inthe Gaeltacht, which will see furtherdevelopment of Gaeltacht youth services and alinkage through the Gaeltacht Summer Collegeswith national youth organisations.

The State will also develop a comprehensive setof supports for Irish-speaking families in theGaeltacht in consultation with parents of youngchildren and infants, and expectant parents.

Planning and Development in theGaeltacht

The Department of Environment, Heritage andLocal Government will prepare extensiveplanning guidelines to assist local authoritieswith regard to the implementation of thePlanning and Development Act in the Gaeltachtso as to ensure the protection of the uniquelinguistic identity of the Gaeltacht.

In recognition of the need for greatercollaboration between national and localgovernment and between various sectors indelivering a more integrated efficient service,the Department of Environment, Heritage and

Local Government, in co-operation with theDepartment of Community, Equality andGaeltacht Affairs and City and CountyManagers, will aim to develop new sharedservices with appropriate and specialisedexpertise for all Gaeltacht areas in the planningarena.

Gaeltacht area plans will have the same statusas town plans. As well as being approved bythe local authority, Gaeltacht area plans will beapproved by the proposed new Irish Languageand Gaeltacht Authority to ensure adequateinput from the perspective of the sustainabilityof the language into the plans.

Delivery of services to Gaeltachtcommunities

As many non-language services as is practicablewill be delivered in the Gaeltacht by theDepartment of Community, Equality andGaeltacht Affairs and the Irish Language andGaeltacht Authority, in recognition of theirfocused ability to deliver services through Irish.

6.3 AREAS FOR ACTION – FAMILYTRANSMISSION OF THE LANGUAGE –EARLY INTERVENTION

The actions proposed in the area of familytransmission of the language are of criticalimportance. The Government Statement on theIrish Language 2006 contains the followingobjective in this area:


Language transmission in the family is a crucialelement in the language planning process and avital building block in the efforts to increase thenumber of fluent speakers.

Language transmission within the family isincreasingly being recognised worldwide as oneof the key issues which need to be explored if


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lesser-used languages are to survive. Familieswhere parents speak Irish need advice andguidance on how to raise their children asbalanced bilinguals, especially if only one parentspeaks the language.

The home, family and neighbourhood - thisstage of daily, informal, oral interactionbetween grandparents, parents and children - iscrucial to the maintenance of Irish as a livinglanguage. The family is the building block ofsuch transmission. Above all, it is in the familythat a deep bond with language and languageactivities is fostered, shared and fashioned intopersonal and social as well as cultural andlinguistic identity.

Parents may not fully understand the economic,employment and educational advantages ofspeaking Irish to their children. Therefore, theproposed interventions in this area are partlyabout encouraging and supporting parents toraise their children bilingually, and partly aboutproviding factual information and raisingawareness of the inherent advantages to thechild’s development of speaking more than onelanguage.

The aim of State supports in the promotion oflanguage transmission in the family willtherefore be to:

• provide advice, guidance and support forfamilies where Irish is spoken in the home;and

• promote a greater understanding of practicalbilingualism in a family environment.

In practical terms this will entail:

• raising awareness among parents, prospectiveparents and the public at large of theadvantages of bilingualism;

• supporting the changing of languagepatterns of families where one parent speaksIrish, in order to increase the number ofchildren who speak both Irish and English inthe home; and

• bringing the message of the advantages ofbilingualism into the mainstream work of thehealth and social services’ providers who giveadvice to new parents.

There is considerable experience in otherjurisdictions, including Wales and the BasqueCountry, of supporting families raising childrenwith two languages. Building on experiences inIreland, particularly in supporting networks ofIrish-speaking families and providing languagesupport for children in Gaeltacht schools, andon international best practice, a range ofpractical measures will be put in place tosupport the transmission of Irish in the family:

• The Language Assistants’ Scheme operating inGaeltacht schools will be extended to all Irish-medium schools;

• Enhanced support for networks of Irish-speaking families will be provided at a locallevel;

• Programmes to assist grandparents and otherolder people to pass the language on to thenew generation will be supported;

• Targeted language learning opportunities willbe put in place to assist families where onlyone parent speaks Irish;

• The Gaeltacht Summer Colleges will placemore emphasis on family language learningexperiences so that networks of natural useof Irish can be promoted with mechanisms fortheir continuation post-Summer College infamilies and among friendship groupings;

• Awareness of the advantages of bilingualismin the mainstream work of health and socialcare professionals that work with youngfamilies will be raised; and

• The functions of county childcare committeesfor the Irish language crèche/playschoolsector throughout the State will bedischarged in future through the new IrishLanguage and Gaeltacht Authority.


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6.4 AREAS FOR ACTION -ADMINISTRATION, SERVICES ANDCOMMUNITY

The actions proposed in the area ofadministration, services and community aredesigned to support achievement of ability,opportunity and attitudes conducive to theexpansion of Irish. The Government Statementon the Irish Language 2006 contains fiveobjectives related to these areas:


Objective 8: The State will continue to supportForas na Gaeilge in the context of the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999.

Objective 11: In order to promote Irishnationally and to strengthen it in the Gaeltacht,the work being done by the Department ofCommunity, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs andby agencies under its aegis will continue to bereinforced.

Objective 12: The use of the Irish language byAn Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces willbe continued and developed.

Objective 13: The Government recognises thevital role of the Irish language voluntary sectorand will continue to support it.

Structural Changes

A number of significant structural changes areto take place:

• New legislation will be introduced for theestablishment of the new Irish Language andGaeltacht Authority with nationalresponsibility for Irish language mattersthroughout the State;

• Foras na Gaeilge will continue to besupported in providing resources andsupports to the language on an all-Irelandlevel;

• A further category of language communitywill be recognised in the new legislation toallow for targeted initiatives to develop newlanguage communities/networks outside theGaeltacht. These will be predominantly inurban communities that have achieved theessential critical mass of community and Statesupport for the Irish language;

• In recognition of the need for greatercollaboration between national and localgovernment and between various sectors indelivering a more integrated efficient service,the relevant players will co-operate in aimingto develop new shared services withappropriate and specialised expertise for allGaeltacht areas in the planning arena; and

• The feasibility of the new Irish Language andGaeltacht Authority carrying out, on anagency basis, functions through Irish for otherpublic bodies, both inside and outside theGaeltacht, will be considered.

Measures for Irish in the Public Service

Language awareness and language trainingprogrammes need to be developed andstrengthened so that a higher proportion ofpublic service staff are truly functional in Irishand can deliver services in Irish to customerswho seek them. The Department of Financeand the Public Appointments Service will deviseappropriate arrangements to increase thecohort of public servants who are functionalbilinguals. These arrangements will be put inplace over time, recognising the presentconstraints on public sector recruitment. Theywill be supported by the development, withinthe existing overall national qualificationsframework, of an independent, standards-basedaccreditation system for Irish languagecompetency within the public service. ANational Diploma in Bilingualism and LanguagePractice will be designed and offered, so as tosupport the delivery of quality services to thepublic in both Irish and English.

The Official Languages Act has adopted the“language scheme” as a core instrument bywhich bilingual services are to be provided.Future language schemes will specify the postswithin an organisation that require an Irishlanguage competency requirement.


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Local Language Initiatives and Plansoutside the Gaeltacht

The Comprehensive Linguistic Study of the Useof Irish in the Gaeltacht recommendedrecognition of distinct types of languagecommunities within the Gaeltacht for whichtargeted, appropriate language planninginterventions would be devised. TheGovernment considers it appropriate that a newtype of “network Gaeltacht” be recognised inthe new legislation. This category will allow fortargeted language planning initiatives todevelop new language communities/networksoutside the Gaeltacht. These will bepredominantly in urban communities that haveachieved a basic critical mass of community andState support for the Irish language, such aschildcare facilities through Irish, gaelscoileanna,second level education through Irish, Irishlanguage youth clubs and other services,including mother and toddler groups, Irishlanguage religious services, etc. Specific criteriato be developed for this category will relate topublic attitudes, language ability, provision ofIrish-medium education and the willingness toactively participate in Irish language initiatives.

The Department of Community, Equality andGaeltacht Affairs and the new Irish Languageand Gaeltacht Authority will provide supportsfor such language plans. Support will also beavailable from Irish language officers employedby local authorities and other experts withinexisting bodies.

The aim of a local action plan will be to drawtogether local people and public/voluntarygroups to facilitate the use of Irish locally. Thiswill be done through increased co-ordinationand public awareness of existing activities. Theapproach will be to map and identify Irishlanguage vitality in the local area. It will besupplemented by a language audit processwhich will identify ongoing strengths andweaknesses and provide time-series evidence ofthe impact which language-related policies andreforms would have on actual language use.These plans will be integrated with CountyLanguage Plans and will include thedevelopment of social and resource centres.

In the long-term, the local action plans will;

• create social conditions that will nurturepositive attitudes towards Irish and anincrease in its general use;

• normalise the use of Irish as a medium ofsocial and institutional communication; and

• emphasise the close relationship betweenlanguage and attitudes which relate toquality of life issues, the environment and thelocal economy.

A key role of local Irish language plans will beto foster learning and usage opportunitiesacross schools and between individual schoolsand recreational, trade, library and communityactivities. The Department of Community,Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs and the new IrishLanguage and Gaeltacht Authority willundertake an active facilitative role insupporting local Irish language-centred activitiesthat link school language learning to relatedfields of cultural, recreational, trade andentrepreneurial/enterprise activity. Adult,continuing and life-long education and trainingactivities will be included in integrated localarea activities to extend initiatives in Irishlanguage support from school and communitydomains into adult literacy, recreational andvocational training programmes.

Local language initiatives will include theestablishment of “one-stop community shops” to:

• provide advice to new parents who wish toraise their children bilingually;

• offer guidance on the range of Irish-mediumeducational opportunities which areavailable;

• assist public and voluntary organisations whowish to increase their use of Irish; and

• encourage businesses who wish to offer abilingual service to their customers.

Activities could focus on providing or enhancingsocial and learning opportunities for childrenand young people to use their Irish outside theclassroom in a range of cultural, social, leisureand sporting activities.


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County Language Plans

All counties with designated Gaeltacht areas,including “network Gaeltacht” areas, will berequired to prepare and implement CountyLanguage Plans. Each such plan will containinitiatives to increase the percentage andnumber of daily Irish speakers on a yearly basisthrough specific targeted initiatives for thatcounty. These measures will be delivered bystakeholders with assistance from languageplanning experts. Following an evaluation, thisapproach may be extended to other counties.

Language Plan for Dublin City andCounty Councils

A substantial number of daily Irish speakers livein Greater Dublin and in its catchment area.The presence of the Irish language in the capitalcity is of great symbolic importance, both to thepeople of Ireland and to visitors arriving inDublin on business or for pleasure. A major Irishlanguage promotion plan for Dublin City and itssurrounding environs will be developed andimplemented in the first period ofImplementation Phase II. The key target of thisplan will be to increase the proportion of dailyIrish speakers in Dublin year on year byincreasing the visibility of the language and byproviding opportunities for normal daily use ofthe language in the city.

The Important Role of the VoluntarySector

The local voluntary sector will have a strong roleto play in the development of local languageinitiatives and plans. It is important, therefore,that the sector be accorded a voice and anopportunity to contribute to policy at locallevel, and that support be provided to groupsthat want to engage with the language atnational and local levels in line with the aimsand content of this Strategy.

The Irish language is a central part of the ethosof national voluntary organisations, such as theGaelic Athletic Association and ComhaltasCeoltóirí Éireann. The Government recognisestheir key role in promoting the language. TheState will develop and intensify its support forthese organisations in promoting our language.

Other voluntary sporting and culturalorganisations have the potential to play acentral role in widening the use of the Irishlanguage beyond the schoolroom. TheGovernment will proactively engage with suchorganisations to unlock the potential of theircommunity-based sporting and cultural activitiesto contribute significantly to the Strategy.

At present the State provides funding for manydiverse Irish language organisations. A moreintegrated “cradle to old age” approach will betaken with a radical re-organisation of State-funded language organisations beingundertaken to provide comprehensive languagesupport services on an area basis.

Physical resource centres

Dedicated resource centres will be developed inthe centre of Dublin and other major urbanareas. Such centres may include theatre space,coffee shops and restaurants, bookshops, officesfor Irish language organisations, internetcentres, historical materials, meeting andconference rooms, display areas, and researchand development start-up units. In other areas,existing resource centres, including the regionalresource centres established by ComhaltasCeoltóirí Éireann with public funding andcentres run by other cultural, sporting and localdevelopment bodies, will, with the agreementof the body concerned, serve as centres for Irishlanguage promotion and activities.

An Garda Síochána and the DefenceForces

The maintenance and development of theposition of the Irish language in An GardaSíochána and the Defence Forces is important,both because of the symbolic importance ofthese forces in our national life and because ofthe services, particularly in the case of An GardaSíochána, provided to the public. Measuresalready in train under the Official LanguagesAct to strengthen the position of Irish as aninternal working language in Gaeltacht areasand among other Irish-speaking units in servicesto the community and in the symbolic role of AnGarda Síochána and the Defence Forces innational life and on state occasions will befurther developed.


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6.5 AREAS FOR ACTION - MEDIA ANDTECHNOLOGY

The 2006 Statement on the Irish Languagecontains one objective addressing media andtechnology:

Objective 9: High quality broadcast servicesthrough the medium of Irish will be ensured,especially through the continuous developmentof RTÉ, Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4.

General

The Irish language in the twenty-first century isalready charting its course in new directions.The traditional sectors of education, community,arts and media are no longer discrete domainsin which separate individual policies can beformulated and implemented. Languageswhich were previously disadvantaged by theirdispersed community base are now well-positioned to benefit from opportunities forinnovation through new communications andmedia technologies. These developments haveimmense potential for resource building in thearts and education and open up new channelsfor individuals and communities to increasetheir knowledge and regular use of Irish.

Reading, Writing and Speech

Building ability in reading and writing Irishrequires new thinking beyond the limitations ofthe printed word reproduced on paper. Futurepolicy must take account of the opportunitiesfor linking developments in the arts, media,technology and education, as well as buildingon the traditional models of creating anddisseminating content. Opportunities forreading and writing in Irish, which includes theproduction of all print media and literature inthe language, and its application in education,culture and leisure, need to be exploited by acombination of traditional and innovativemeans. This includes those modes ofcommunication that mak

20-year strategy for the irish language 2010 – 2030...20-year strategy for the irish language 2010...

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