318. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide for immersive Irish medium provision in Brussels according to the demand for same and in line with her powers under the policy governing language of instruction in European schools. [67710/26]

My Department remains committed to supporting the promotion and teaching of the national languages of each Member State, including Irish, in the European School system. In support of this, my Department has seconded teachers to the European Schools to ensure the continued provision of Irish-language lessons to pupils of Irish origin wishing to learn Irish.

With regard to the provision of an immersive Irish-medium provision in the European Schools, the Language Policy of the European Schools (2019) requires that a ‘critical mass’ of pupils of that language be enrolled in a European School to validate the establishment of a new language section in a school. The regulations state that it is desirable for each language section to have a minimum of 90 nursery and primary pupils from the 6th year after its opening and a minimum of 84 secondary pupils from the 7th year after its opening. It has not been possible to establish an Irish-language section in any of the European Schools due to the number of Irish pupils enrolled never reaching the critical mass threshold required by the Board of Governors of the European Schools for the approval of a new language section.

Irish is designated as an “Other National Language” within the European Schools system. Under this designation, provision is made for the teaching of Irish across the European Schools. Pupils of Irish origin attending any of the European Schools, may study Irish as an elective subject in both the primary and secondary cycles. Irish is offered as a subject for examination and certification as part of the European Baccalaureate.

My Department will continue to keep this matter under review.