Minister of State Chambers announces additional supports under the Language Assistants’ Scheme
- Published on: 13 May 2022
- Last updated on: 12 May 2022
- additional 3-year fund worth up to €72,000 approved to further support 7 Gaeltacht primary schools with an attendance of over 100 pupils
- role of the Language Assistant Handbook launched as a source of reference, information and support
- Dúiche Sheoigheach and Tuar Mhic Éadaigh language plan launches officially
While visiting Dúiche Sheoigheach today, the government's Chief Whip and the Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, Jack Chambers, announces additional 3-year funding of up to €72,000 to enable the provision of additional support under the department's Language Assistants’ Scheme for Gaeltacht primary schools with an attendance of more than 100 students. 7 Gaeltacht primary schools will be able to benefit from this policy. Between 1 and 7 extra hours will be allowed in the schools involved - depending on attendance.
In addition – during his visit to the officially launch the Dúiche Sheoigheach and Tuar Mhic Éadaigh language plan, the Minister of State will launch the new handbook Role of the Language Assistant which will be a source of reference, information and support for language assistants, scheme administrators and Gaeltacht school management and teaching teams. The implementation of these measures is in line with the recommendations of the Review of the Language Assistants’ Scheme report commissioned by the department and published in 2019.
As a result of this additional fund, a total fund of approximately €1,230,943 per school year will be provided for the benefit of a total of 134 Gaeltacht schools (105 primary schools, 28 post-primary schools and 1 special school) with 114 language assistants working under the scheme. This represents an increase of €449,701 more than the amount spent under the scheme annually up to 4 years ago.
Minister of State Chambers said:
"With the announcement of this additional fund and the publication of the Role of the Language Assistant handbook, major steps have been taken to further support both the language planning process and the implementation of the policy for Gaeltacht education. The review of the scheme recommended that the work being done under the auspices of the Language Assistants’ Scheme in Gaeltacht primary schools with an attendance of more than 100 students should be further supported. It was also suggested that a handbook be produced as a source of reference and support which provides an overview of the work of the language assistant. With the announcement of this fund and the publication of the handbook, both of these recommendations have now been implemented.
"There is no doubt that the Language Assistants’ Scheme plays a key role in the efforts being made by my department and the Department of Education to further strengthen Irish as a community and family language in the Gaeltacht areas as part of the implementation of the 2018-2022 Action Plan for the Irish Language. Through the Language Assistants’ Scheme and indeed the other schemes and projects administered by my department under the Community and Language Supports Programme, practical assistance is being provided through the network of Gaeltacht primary and post-primary schools to further language acquisition and enrichment opportunities available to attendees of Gaeltacht schools. As a result of this additional funding and handbook, the scheme is being further and gradually strengthened - using available resources."
This measure is in line with the commitment made under action 2.17 of the Action Plan 2018-2022 as well as the commitments made in relation to the scheme in the Policy for Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022.
In launching the Dúiche Sheoigheach and Tuar Mhic Éadaigh Language Plan, Minister of State Chambers thanks Comharchumann Dhúiche Sheoigheach Teo. (CDS) and the language planning committee for the work done and planned in relation to the area plan:
"As with all the language plans already approved and implemented, in this case the people of Dúiche Sheoigheach and Tuar Mhic Éadaigh are being given the opportunity to choose their own priorities under the plan and to participate in the implementation of the plan on the basis of a partnership. This plan and these efforts are all in the interest of the Irish language locally."
Notes
Language Assistants’ Programme
The following is a list of schools that could benefit from the additional fund:
Donegal
| School | Attendance | Extra hours |
| Scoil Chróine An Clochán Liath | 271 | 4 |
Galway
| School | Attendance | Extra hours |
| Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh | 644 | 7 |
| SN na bhForbacha | 200 | 3 |
| SN Séamus Naofa, Bearna | 241 | 3 |
| Scoil Bhríde Mionloch | 156 | 1 |
| SN Breandán Eanach Dúin | 133 | 1 |
| SN Tuar Mhic Éadaigh | 101 | 1 |
School attendance details on the Department of Education website at: https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/63363b-data-on-individual-schools/
The review of the Language Assistants’ Scheme was undertaken in 2018 in order to gain a better understanding of ways in which the Scheme could be further strengthened in the context of the implementation of the Policy for Gaeltacht Education and the language planning process in general. The review was undertaken by SEALBHÚ, DCU's Irish Language Learning and Teaching Research Centre, under the guidance of the department. A steering committee - made up of representatives from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the Department of Education, An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) and Gaeloideachas - was appointed to assist with the work.
In addition to the 2 specific measures announced, the following steps have been taken previously to strengthen the Language Assistants’ Scheme as a result of the review:
- additional resources worth €1.02 million were approved from the beginning of the 2018/19 school year to enable an additional 32 schools to benefit from the scheme - equivalent to all Gaeltacht schools participating in the Gaeltacht Schools Recognition Scheme. As a result of all this, 134 Gaeltacht schools are benefiting from all these changes compared to 104 schools in 2017/18 and 114 assistants are now employed under the scheme compared to 100 in 2018/19
- a 3-year allowance of up to €3,200,828 was approved from the start of the 2019/20 school year, and was used to enable Gaeltacht schools participating in the Gaeltacht Schools Recognition Scheme to have a language assistant for an additional 6 weeks per school year, equivalent to 32 weeks in total
Language planning
- a total fund of €5.8 million is being provided to support the language planning process this year. This represents an increase of €800,000 on the fund that was available in 2021
- each of the 26 Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas are approved now
- 21 Language Planning Officers (19 in Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas and 2 in Gaeltacht Service Towns) and 4 Assistant Language Planning Officers are currently employed and implementing plans
- to date 5 Gaeltacht Service Towns have been approved under the process, Leitir Ceanainn, Daingean Uí Chúis, Cathair na Gaillimhe, An Clochán Liath and Trá Lí
- plans for Caisleán an Bharraigh and Dún Garbhán are currently being examined by the department and plans are being prepared for Cathair Saidhbhín and Caisleán an Bharraigh. Preparatory work for An Clochán is ongoing
To date 3 Irish Language Networks have been approved under the process - Inis, Baile Loch Riach and Cluain Dolcáin - as well as 2 others in the north - Carn Tóchar and Iarthar Bhéal Feirste - which have been approved by Foras na Gaeilge subject to a non-statutory process set up by the organisation there.