Up to 16 new all-Irish are due to open this autumn. They include four post primary schools.
There are now about 100 all-Irish primary and secondary schools throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland.
Four of the new schools will be in Dublin, with others in Maynooth, Wicklow, Sligo, Trim, Co Meath and Ballinnmore, Co Leitrim. Two schools are due to open in the North, one in Belfast and the other in Dunloy, Co Antrim.
Three Irish-language organisations, including Gaelscoileanna, repeated their call for a separate education board for Irish-medium education yesterday, as the Dail debated a motion on the proposed regional education boards.
A spokesman for Gaelscoileanna, Mr Breandun Mac Cormaic, criticised the Department of Education for "completely ignoring" the needs of the sector in drawing up its plans for regional education boards.