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Language Assistants Scheme
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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The purpose of the Language Assistants Scheme is to strengthen Irish as a community and family language in the Gaeltacht in accordance with the central objectives of the language planning process and the Policy for Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 (DES).
Under this programme, additional language acquisition and enrichment opportunities are provided for Gaeltacht school attendees. The two organisations Muintearas Teo and Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne Teo, are responsible for administering the scheme in the Gaeltacht on behalf of the Department.
In 2023, the scheme was expanded so that Gaelcoileanna and Gaelcholáistí located in the Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks outside the Gaeltacht will be able to benefit from the Language Assistant’s Scheme. The Glór na nGael organisation is responsible for administering the scheme in those areas.
Schools participating in the Gaeltacht School recognition scheme are available here :
As a result of additional investment (Press Release here ) being made in the scheme by the Department in accordance with what is recommended in the Review of the Language Assistant’s Scheme published in October 2020 (see Sealbhú Report below), all schools participating in the implementation of the Policy for Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 are able to benefit from a language assistant as well as having additional hours approved for each school.
This results in €1.2m being spent annually on the scheme where 113 Language Assistants are employed in 135 Gaeltacht Schools (113 Primary Schools, 21 Secondary Schools and 1 Special Needs School) facilitating 8,500 schoolchildren in total.
Circular 0010/2020: Primary Schools / Special School Involved in Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme: Ongoing Implementation of the Scheme (2020/21)
Circular 0011/2020: Post-primary Schools participating in the Gaeltacht Schools Recognition Scheme: Continued implementation of the Scheme (2020/21)
Circular 0012/2020: Invitation to primary schools in Gaeltacht language planning areas to participate in the Gaeltacht Schools Recognition Scheme in 2020.
An Irish and English version of the Circulars are available on the department's website at the links below:
ctpt@tcagsm.gov.ie - 091 503700
Muintearas Teo, Tír an Fhia, Leitir Móir, Co na Gaillimhe, Tel: +353 (0)91 551145, muintearas@muintearas.com
Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne Teo, Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, An Daingean, Trá Lí, Co Chiarraí, Tel: +353 (0) 66-9156100, eolas@cfcd.ie
Glór na nGael, Ráth Chairn, Baile Átha Buí, Contae na Mí, Fón: 046 943 0974