Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 June 2026
191. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Oideachais agus Óige ar lorg sí nó na hAirí roimpi comhairle ón Ard-Aighne maidir leis an dlisteanacht a bhaineann le cearta oideachais tré Ghaeilge a shéanadh do pháistí scoile; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [44739/26]
View answerNuair is cuí, lorgaíonn mo Roinn comhairle dlí maidir le saincheisteanna a thagann chun cinn le linn a cuid oibre. Tá aon chomhairle dlí a fhaightear faoi réir phribhléid ghairmiúil dlíodóra agus ní bheadh sé cuí trácht a dhéanamh ar aon chomhairle dá leithéid.
Aithnítear san Acht Oideachais 1998 ról mo Roinne “an ceart atá ag tuismitheoirí a leanaí a chur ar scoil is rogha leis na tuismitheoirí a chur chun cinn, ag féachaint do chearta pátrún agus d’úsáid éifeachtach agus éifeachtúil acmhainní”. Tá mé tiomanta go hiomlán tacú leis an oideachas lán-Ghaeilge agus do dheiseanna breise a chur ar fáil do pháistí agus do dhaoine óga a gcuid oideachais a fháil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá gealltanais i gClár Rialtais 2025 – Todhchaí na hÉireann a Dhaingniú – chun deiseanna a leathnú do dhaltaí agus do scoláirí freastal ar Ghaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí, Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí a bhunú áit a bhfuil éileamh ann, agus tacú le tuismitheoirí atá ag roghnú oideachais lán-Ghaeilge dá bpáistí.
Seoladh an Polasaí don Oideachas Lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht i mí na Samhna 2025. Leagtar amach sa pholasaí fís mo roinne go mbeidh oideachas lán-Ghaeilge ar ardchaighdeán ar fáil do chách, i suíomhanna oideachais atá ionchuimsitheach agus ilchultúrtha. Tá mé tiomanta go mbeidh mo roinn ag obair i gcomhar le páirtithe leasmhara chun an fhís sin a bhaint amach, agus dul chun cinn a dhéanamh i dtreo gealltanais Chlár an Rialtais a bhaint amach.
Tá an Tascfhórsa ar Mhúnlaí Soláthar don Oideachas lán-Ghaeilge, a bunaíodh faoin bPolasaí don Oideachas Lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht, ag cur ardán ar fáil do chomhoibriú idir mo roinn agus príomhpháirtithe leasmhara chun cosán a aithint chun an soláthar oideachais lán-Ghaeilge a mhéadú. Táim ag tnúth le toradh an tascfhórsa seo, agus tá súil agam go dtapóidh ár bpáirtithe leasmhara na deiseanna a chuirfidh sé ar fáil chun soláthar an oideachais lán-Ghaeilge a neartú agus a leathnú.
Where appropriate, my Department seeks legal advice on issues arising in the course of its work. Any legal advice obtained is subject to legal professional privilege and it would not be appropriate to comment on any such advice.
The Education Act 1998 identifies the role of my department “to promote the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents’ choice having regard to the rights of patrons and the effective and efficient use of resources”. I am fully committed to supporting Irish-medium education and to providing additional opportunities for children and young people to receive their education through the medium of Irish.
The Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland's Future – contains commitments to expand opportunities for pupils and students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí, to establish Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand, and to support parents who choose Irish-medium education for their children.
The Policy for Irish-Medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht was launched in November 2025. The policy sets out my department's vision that high-quality Irish-medium education will be available to all, in inclusive and multicultural educational settings. I am committed to my department working with stakeholders to achieve that vision, and to make progress towards delivering on the commitments of the Programme for Government.
The Taskforce on Models of Provision for Irish-Medium Education, which was established under the Policy for Irish-Medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht, is providing a platform for collaboration between my department and key stakeholders to identify a pathway to increase the provision of Irish-medium education. I look forward to the outcome of this taskforce, and I hope that our stakeholders will seize the opportunities it will provide to strengthen and expand the provision of Irish-medium education.
