Public Consultation on a National Plan for Irish Language Provision in Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is carrying out a public consultation on the development of a national plan for Irish language provision in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC).

The commitment to develop a national plan provides recognition of the importance of high quality early learning and care that can support children’s holistic development and recognition that the quality of early learning and childcare provision is key to the realisation of benefits for children, including those relating to early language development.

First 5: A Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families and the 5 Year Action Plan for Irish Language 2018 – 2022 both contain commitments relating to the further development of supports for Irish language provision in ELC and SAC. First 5 includes commitments to introduce measures to ensure that children in Gaeltacht areas have access to Irish-medium ELC and SAC provision, and also to develop mechanisms to provide Irish-language supports to ELC provision where there are high proportions of children who are learning through the medium of Irish. The 5-Year Action Plan for the Irish Language includes a commitment to develop a comprehensive plan for the sector.

Key themes that this consultation process seeks to address include:

• Increasing opportunities to access Irish-medium ELC and SAC provision
• Strengthening and supporting the delivery of Irish-medium provision
• The role of the Irish language in English-medium early learning and childcare settings
• Equality and inclusion in ELC and SAC
• Needs of both the native learner and learners of Irish as a second / additional language in ELC and SAC

How to participate in the consultation?

We want to hear your views and consider them in the development of a comprehensive plan.

Online survey – Complete a short online survey, available in both Irish and English. You can access the survey at this link .

Focus Groups – You can also attend one of the on-line or in person focus groups that will be happening around the country during the consultation period. Details of the focus groups and how to take part in them will be listed on this page as they are confirmed.