Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
506. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of strategic planning and future goals for Irish-language early childhood education, key performance indicators for growth, and efforts to preserve the Irish language through these services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13819/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department's funding for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) services is provided on the same basis to both Irish-medium and English-medium services, whether inside or outside Gaeltacht areas.
The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG) has responsibility for the Irish language. DRCDG provides additional supports for Irish-medium ELC services in the Gaeltacht through its agencies and organisations such as Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta.
In addition, in June 2024, that Department's predecessor with responsibility for the Irish language announced five-year funding to provide a comprehensive support and development service to naíonraí outside of the Gaeltacht, to be administered by Gaeloideachas. Furthermore, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality has provided funding to Gaeloideachas in 2025 and 2026 to support Irish-medium ELC settings.
The growth and performance of the Irish-medium sector are monitored through the Pobal annual early years sector profile which provides national data on the ELC and SAC sector, including the number and distribution of Irish-medium services that receive funding from the Department. Pobal also provide the Department with administrative data collected through national funding programmes.
This Department is committed to supporting the growth of the Irish language in ELC and SAC services, including childminding. In line with commitments in the 5-year Action Plan for the Irish language, the Department has provided funding since 2023 to Better Start to recruit an Irish Language Early Years Specialist to support mentoring and advice to Irish-medium ELC settings and further funding in 2025 to recruit an Irish Language Team Leader.
The Department is currently working in collaboration with other relevant Departments and agencies to develop a national plan to further the development of Irish language provision in the ELC and SAC sector.
The development of such a plan is a commitment in the 5-Year Action Plan for the Irish Language. The national plan is expected to support the delivery of two commitments in First 5: the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families: “Introduce measures to ensure that children in Gaeltacht areas have access to Irish-medium ELC provision” and “Develop mechanisms to provide Irish-language supports to ELC provision where there are high proportions of children who are learning through the medium of Irish”.
The plan is also expected to support the delivery of commitments in the Programme for Government to: “Support naíonraí and creches to ensure early education access in Gaeltacht communities and beyond” and “Plan the development of State-led facilities in tandem with the school building programme, including Irish-medium naíonraí”.
In addition to the focus on the provision of Irish-medium ELC and SAC services, it is anticipated that the new national plan will also include measures to support English-medium ELC services to work within the updated Aistear early childhood curriculum framework, which was published in December 2024. The updated Aistear includes an aim of supporting young children to have an awareness and appreciation of Gaeilge and our cultural and linguistic heritage.
A survey of Irish-medium ELC and SAC settings including childminders was undertaken in 2022-2023 to obtain a baseline of the current level of Irish-medium provision in the sector.
A public consultation and a programme of research, including a literature review, took place in 2024. A consultation with children was completed in 2025.
It is intended that the Plan and associated consultation reports will be published in the coming months.
