Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
527. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has conducted or commissioned any recent analysis of parental demand for Irish medium education in Dublin city and nationally; if so, if she will provide details of the methodology and findings of such analysis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17174/26]
View answerThe Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, includes a commitment to establish Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand and support parents choosing Irish-medium education for their children.
On 4 November 2025, my department published a 'Framework and Action Plan for Delivery of Increased Choice for Parents on Education Provision at Primary Level'. The initial focus of the framework and action plan was an online, school-specific survey. This Primary School Survey launched on 4 November and ran to 16 December 2025.
This national primary school survey, the largest of its kind ever undertaken in Ireland, was school specific and through its results, aims to assess parental demand and preferences for different types of primary school provision including the language of instruction (English or Irish).
The survey preferences on providing education primarily through the English language or through the Irish language will inform potential future local consultation around opportunities to increase the provision of education through Irish.
The survey itself is not a final step. Where there is clear support from parents and guardians for change to be considered, a further process of inclusive dialogue will begin.
Initial high-level summary results focusing on response rates will be published in early 2026, with a Q2 2026 timeframe for school-level data.
