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<h1>State’s language policy is costing its citizens jobs, Senator says<br></h1><div class=""><div class="">
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<p><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/state-s-language-policy-is-costing-its-citizens-jobs-senator-says-1.2128096#"><span content="2015-03-05T19:47">Thu, Mar 5, 2015, 19:47</span></a></p>
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<p><strong>First published:</strong> <span content="2015-03-05T19:47">Thu, Mar 5, 2015, 19:47</span></p>
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<p class="">The Republic cannot give its own citizens jobs because the State is failing at teaching languages, the Seanad has heard.</p><p class="">Independent Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames said that “70 per cent of the people hired by the likes of <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_company=Google&article=true">Google</a> are from abroad because <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=Ireland&article=true">Ireland</a> does not have enough graduates with languages”. </p><p class="">Ms Healy-Eames said: “We are not even able to give our own people jobs because we do such a bad job of teaching languages.”</p>
<p class="">Ms Healy-Eames was speaking after
concerns were raised about proposals to remove maths and languages as
university entrance requirements.</p><p class="">Senator <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Sean%20Barrett&article=true">Sean Barrett</a> said discussions were underway on the proposals this week in the <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=University%20of%20Limerick&article=true">University of Limerick</a> and <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=UCC&article=true">UCC</a>. He said that <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=UCD&article=true">UCD</a> was reported to be in favour of them while <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=TCD&article=true">TCD</a> dissented.</p><p class="">Mr
Barrett said he did not believe Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan
was “in the loop” on these kinds of proposals, because she had
previously told the Seanad that “the report of the expert skills group
indicated to her that we needed more language skills in Ireland and not
less”.</p><p class="">Mr Barrett said: “We are members of a multilingual <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=European%20Union&article=true">European Union</a>
and we should not be cutting back on languages. Mathematics is the
basis of all our investment in the science, technology, engineering and
mathematics, Stem subjects.” </p><p class="">He said Ms
O’Sullivan should be advised of these proposals because “they seem to
contradict what we are seeking to accomplish in the development of this
country”.</p><p class=""><strong>‘Outrageously wrong’</strong></p><p class="">Senator Feargal Quinn said he believed the proposals to drop language requirements were “outrageously wrong”.</p><p class="">Mr
Quinn said: “We need languages if we want to export, and to take
languages off the curriculum would be a huge error. We must make sure
that we do not do that.” </p><p class="">Seanad leader <a class="" href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Maurice%20Cummins&article=true">Maurice Cummins</a> (FG) said: “We need to upgrade our language and maths curricula.” </p><p class="">Mr
Cummins said the issue should be discussed by the education committee
as a matter of urgency, as “there is a need for greater emphasis on
language and maths skills”.</p>
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