Investment of €24.7m in Irish language and Gaeltacht sought in budget

An investment of €24.7 million in the Irish language and Gaeltacht in Budget 2023 is being sought to improve employment in the area and the use of the language throughout the country.

Politicians will discuss the matter at Conradh na Gaeilge’s annual lobbying event on Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as calls for support on a policy on the Irish language in the education system and a national policy for housing planning in the Gaeltacht.

Paula Melvin, president of Conradh na Gaeilge, recognised the additional funding given to the Irish language and the Gaeltacht since 2019 but said “specific actions need to be taken to encourage and provide fairness for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, especially in the context of the funding made available to other sectors in recent years”.

A “significant part” of the further €24.7 million investment, if secured, would be spent on “projects that would create employment in the Gaeltacht and provide facilities and opportunities for the use of Irish to the public throughout the country”, Ms Melvin said.

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Julian de Spáinn, general secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge, said the opportunity will also be taken at the lobbying event to “seek the support of politicians for two other extremely important issues for the future of the Irish language and the Gaeltacht”.

“In the first place, we will talk with them about the need for a policy for Irish in the education system from preschool to third level to be put together by the Government without further delay,” he said.

There were “signs that the language is being weakened in the system”, he said, adding: “We only have to look at the decision taken to move the Leaving Cert Irish Paper 1 to the end of fifth year.”

“The Government has no plan or policy to deal with the language in an integrated manner throughout the education system,” he said.

“It’s time to rectify that now.”

It was also becoming “more and more difficult for the Gaeltacht community to get planning permission in their own area”, which needed to be resolved “urgently”.