Teachers blamed for lack of Irish speaking workers

A GOVERNMENT minister has blamed poor levels of Irish among teachers as one of the main reasons for a shortage of workers who are competent in the language.

Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Éamon Ó Cuív said the standard of Irish among teachers needs to be looked at to help address the problem. Although there is a combination of factors behind poor levels of Irish, he said teacher training is a major element.

“One of the major problems is the large number of teachers, particularly those qualified in recent years, who don’t have a competency in the language,” Mr Ó Cuív said.