Policy for Irish-Medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht
- Published on: 4 November 2025
- Last updated on: 6 November 2025
Introduction
Irish-medium education is a rich and valuable feature of the Irish education system. The Department of Education and Youth is pleased to publish the Policy on Irish-Medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht, which will support the growth and development of the Irish-medium sector.
Policy on Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht
The policy’s sets out the department’s vision that:
- High-quality Irish-medium education will be available to all, in inclusive and multicultural educational settings
- A particular affinity with and love for the Irish language and culture will be fostered in children and young people so that they will continue to use the language competently and with pride throughout their lives.
- An ecosystem of appropriate supports and resources is available to Irish-medium education settings and their communities.
To progress towards realising the ambitious vision set out in the policy, actions will be implemented under the policy in the following areas of action:
- Growing the sector
- Developing standards and guidance
- Supporting professional practice
- Developing language proficiency
- Providing learning, teaching and assessment resources
- Inspiring families and communities.
The development of the policy was informed by an extensive consultation process conducted by the department and by national and international research.
Link to material from Consultation process to develop a policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht
Link to material half-way down page Consultation process to develop a policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht
Taskforce on Models of Provision for Irish-Medium Education
A taskforce is being established, as a key action of this policy, to make recommendations to the Department of Education and Youth in relation to the establishment, development, and sustainability of models for Irish-medium education provision.
The taskforce will provide a platform for collaboration between the department and key stakeholders to identify and co-design approaches to increasing the provision of high-quality Irish-medium education.
Contact details
If you require further information, please contact aog@education.gov.ie or phone (01) 889 6408.