The president of Conradh na Gaeilge has given a guarded welcome to a plan by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin to introduce a number of measures aimed at improving the teaching of Irish in the State's primary schools.
Daithí Mac Carthaigh welcomed the initiative, announced by the Minister yesterday, but said there was now a "great need for a comprehensive plan to fully promote Irish in the school system."
Mr Mac Carthaigh described the intiative under which primary schoolchildren will be able to attend two-week long Department of Education-funded summer schools as "good news."
He also welcomed the appointment of language experts to help improve the fluency and competency of primary school teachers.
Ms Hanafin also announced that one school day a year - to be known as Dramaíocht trí Ghaeilgeday - would be dedicated to drama through Irish.
However, Mr Mac Cárthaigh said best international practice indicated that Irish and a further subject should be taught through Irish every day for a pupil to succeed in gaining fluency. He said there was a need for a "comprehensive plan to fully promote Irish in the school system."
Ms Hanafin announced details of the initiative yesterday during her address to the INTO annual conference in Killarney.
She told delegates that she was "completely opposed" to proposals to abandon compulsory Irish for the Leaving Cert and said it was necessary that young people should "enjoy learning the language" and should not be encouraged to "turn their back on it".
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