What plans she has to increase the number of Irish language schools. [54760]

Following the Government's commitment in the Belfast agreement, the Department of Education has a statutory duty to facilitate and encourage Irish-medium education and is drawing up proposals for the funding of a body to promote its development. In addition, arrangements are in place to enable Irish-medium pre-school provision to be grant aided within the pre-school education expansion programme for Northern Ireland. Around 1,250 pupils are currently enrolled in grant-aided Irish-medium schools in Northern Ireland.

I thank my hon. Friend for his answer, and for the requirement in the education order to encourage and facilitate Irish-medium schools. Does he acknowledge that an impediment to achieving that objective remains in the school numbers criteria, which restrict several Irish-medium schools, such as the Meanscoil Dhoire in Derry, from receiving registration and funding? Will my hon. Friend undertake to reconsider the school numbers criteria so that the agreement's laudable objective of increasing the number of Irish-medium schools is achieved?

I thank my hon. Friend for her comments. We recently reduced the viable entrance criterion from 100 to 80 for secondary schools. The school to which she referred does not, unfortunately, meet current viability thresholds, but we are considering setting up an Irish-medium unit at St. Brigid's secondary school. The school to which my hon. Friend referred is receiving £120,000 from the European Union, and there is a possibility of further capital funding.

The Belfast agreement refers to the Council of Europe's charter for regional and minority languages. Can the Minister confirm that it states that the promotion of Irish should take place only where it is desired, and that Irish will not be generally promoted throughout Northern Ireland, where only 3 per cent. of people are fluent in it?

I understand the right hon. Gentleman's point. Irish-medium education depends on viability and on whether people want to be taught through the medium of Irish. As far as general use of the Irish language is concerned, the Government are committed to ensuring that there are no obstacles in the way of those who desire to learn it and use it.