Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1478. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what supports his Department provides for the promotion of the Irish language in HEIs; if he has plans for such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36928/23]
View answerThe Higher Education Authority Act, which was enacted in October 2022, requires that higher education institutions (HEIs) promote the Irish language. While the Act mandates the promotion of the Irish language in HEIs, the responsibility for developing and implementing specific Irish-language courses and strategies lies with each autonomous HEI.
The Department of Further and Higher Education; Research; Innovation and Science distributes recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority for disbursement directly to designated HEIs through a block grant. The internal allocation of this funding, including expenditure on Irish-language education initiatives, falls to the individual institution.
The Department sponsors 'Gníomhaí Gaeilge', the Conradh na Gaeilge initiative which is run in conjunction with the Union of Students of Ireland. It offers Irish language clubs and societies with skills and mentorship in developing the use of the language within Higher Education.
Under the auspices of the Minister and Department for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, there is a goal to ensure improved public services through the Irish language. This is done through the provisions and regulations of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 that apply to all public bodies under the Act. The Advanced Irish Language Skills Initiative, funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, is intended to ensure the availability of qualified persons with Irish language skills to meet recruitment needs in Ireland and the EU. It supports a range of specialised third level Irish language courses in areas such as translation, interpretation and law, with 8 courses available in 5 different institutions.
There is already a broad range of courses available in Irish in higher education institutions, with student returns statistics showing 106 courses available in Irish with 2,510 enrolments in 2021/2022.
