Concerns have been raised over whether funding to help pupils attend a new Gaelic learning hub in Falkirk would be provided by the Scottish Government if one is established.
Members of Falkirk Council's education, children and young people's executive heard that just five Primary 1 pupils would be enough to make it a reality in 2024.
Councillors were told that any new Gaelic unit would almost certainly be in a classroom in a central Falkirk primary school and that the Scottish Government will provide the funding for new books and equipment as well as a staff member.
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But the director of Children Services, Robert Naylor, said he was not sure whether the government would also foot the bill for transport to get pupils to the school.
The Scottish Government currently gives Falkirk Council £14,000 to pay for the cost of taxis for around 20 young people to either Cumbernauld or Stirling, where Gaelic education is available.
However, the meeting was told that the current actual cost to the council is £63,000 as while transport costs have soared in recent years the grant has remained the same.
Falkirk has been highlighted as a priority area for establishing a new Gaelic unit, after a 2019 survey of parents with three-year-old children revealed a strong interest in Gaelic Medium Education (GME) in Falkirk.
However, the coronavirus pandemic stopped any further consultation taking place.
All councils in Scotland now have a legal obligation not just to offer GME but also to make sure that parents know they have the right to request it.
The administration's education portfolio holder, Councillor Laura Murtagh, told the executive that it was right to give parents the choice.
She said: "It's really important that parents are made aware of what options are there.
"It's important that we explore all measures that increase attainment and there is evidence from Gaelic Medium Education that it does increase attainment."
Pupil representative Declan McGavin said it did not seem a good use of resources as it could mean spending over £50,000 for a teacher who would only teach five pupils.
The director of Children's Services Robert Naylor agreed that it would be "very expensive education provision" for such a small number of pupils but pointed out that the Gaelic Medium act means that the council is required to promote it.
Independent councillor Robert Spears said: "My concern is that we could be spending money that could be spent in other places.
"I have nothing against Gaelic but is is a luxury we can afford at this present time?"
"Are we looking at some grandiose idea from the Scottish Government that they're prepared to pay for but they're not prepared to give us the money we need to keep vital departments open in our schools?"
Labour group leader Anne Hannah said she was support of "multilingual" education for young people but wanted confirmation that all of the costs, including transport, would be funded by the Scottish Government.
Members of the education executive agreed that a further survey of parents of three and four-year-olds was necessary, to establish if there would be demand for local GME in the Falkirk area starting in either August 2024 or August 2025.
