480. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she can provide an update on actions taken, or to be taken, to meet Action 2.6.2.4 of the Action Plan for Irish in English Medium Schools; what supports will be made available to support the establishment of Irish language youth clubs and afterschool activities in areas where these are not currently available; if there will be additional suppo…
Topics / Irish Language
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsIrish Language
278 questions from 62 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
278
questions
270 written, 8 oral
62
TDs have asked
9
parties and groups
Independents counted together
13
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 3 |
| February 2025 | 7 |
| March 2025 | 13 |
| April 2025 | 9 |
| May 2025 | 14 |
| June 2025 | 10 |
| July 2025 | 31 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 9 |
| October 2025 | 11 |
| November 2025 | 33 |
| December 2025 | 5 |
| January 2026 | 1 |
| February 2026 | 11 |
| March 2026 | 29 |
| April 2026 | 15 |
| May 2026 | 12 |
| June 2026 | 29 |
| July 2026 | 14 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 20 |
| October 2026 | 2 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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35
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24
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21
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19
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19
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17
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10
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8
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
481. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if funding for Irish language youth clubs and afterschool activities will be supported outside of the Youth Affairs budget, or if funding for the implementation of the relevant actions of the Action Plan for Irish in English Medium Schools comes from Youth Affairs alone; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63472/25]
482. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the percentage of the current youth services grant scheme that is being spent on Irish language youth work; her plans to increase this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63473/25]
483. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the engagement she has had with Irish language youth organisations as part of her engagement with relevant stakeholders as part of her broader work to promote inclusion and cultural participation among young people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63474/25]
514. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to examine along with his Ministerial colleagues with responsibility for the named Departments (details supplied), the proposal that will not alone enrich students by encouraging a greater understanding and learning of our native language and culture, but will also encourage Gaeltacht areas themselves to grow and exten…
478. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students who were granted an exemption from the study of Irish at primary level over the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61005/25]
3. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth her position in relation to the exemptions system for the Irish language as it stands; her views on whether it is fit for purpose; her plans to combat the increasing number of students seeking exemptions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59852/25]
566. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of males and females that are fluent in Irish from the most recent HEO recruitment campaign within the civil service that are still on the panel; and the date this panel will expire. [59922/25]
651. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to tackle the increasing and worrying levels of student receiving exemptions for the Irish language; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57944/25]
653. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of pupils studying in Irish-medium schools over the past 20 years, by school type, by year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57946/25]
654. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has imminent plans to open any new Irish medium schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57947/25]
656. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the work being undertaken to deliver the Programme for Government commitment to increase dedicated Irish-medium teacher training programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57964/25]
696. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students who currently hold an Irish language exemption for the 2025-2026 academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58249/25]
744. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education and Youth given the concerns expressed by the Irish-speaking community about the establishment of Aonaid (details supplied), to clarify whether new Aonaid will be established under the new policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58634/25]
745. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions she intends to take to ensure an increase in the number of Irish-medium schools given that it is stated in the 20-year Strategy for the Irish Language that the number of such schools will be increased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58635/25]
792. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria currently used to approve exemptions from studying Irish (primary and secondary); the timeframes these criteria are audited or reviewed by her Department, the steps being taken to ensure consistency and fairness across schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58938/25]
793. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has evaluated the impact of the rising number of Irish exemptions on bilingual policy goals, Irish language proficiency targets; and if her Department plans to propose reforms (e.g. differentiated instruction, optional exam modes, or phased reduction) to reverse exemption growth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58939/25]
794. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the supports (special education resources, differentiated curricula, teaching methods) which are provided to students with learning difficulties or literacy challenges to enable them to continue Irish rather than be exempted; the number of such supports which have been funded in the past three years; the plans which exist to expand them; and if she…
795. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to commission an independent review of the exemption system for Irish in schools (primary and secondary), including its impacts on language retention and equity; the terms of reference that review will have; and the timeframe for when it will begin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58941/25]
883. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider producing a policy for the Irish language in the youth work sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59856/25]
2164. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the specific requirements placed on non-governmental organisations in receipt of Government funding to ensure that they cater for Irish speakers in Gaeltacht service towns and networks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57853/25]
709. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that, 100 years after the foundation of the State, there is still no statutory provision for childcare services through the medium of Irish, outside of the Gaeltacht; if she accepts that this represents a significant gap in the State's commitment to the Irish language; and the steps she intends to take to ensure that …
916. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he is aware that, in the 13 years since the enactment of the Gaeltacht Act 2012, only three Irish Language Networks have been formally recognised under the Act in 2021; that no new call for applications has been issued since then; if he will outline when the next statutory round of applications for Irish Language N…
21. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider setting out a target for the level students studying through the medium of Irish language at third level, considering the very low proportion at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55564/25]
85. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the steps his Department is taking to promote the Irish language in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51547/25]