Gaeltacht body to retain core role

Údarás na Gaeltachta is to retain its statutory functions as the body primarily responsible for the economic and cultural development of Gaeltacht regions.

Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs Dinny McGinley outlined the Government's plans for the future of Údarás and the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language at a press conference in Fál Carrach, Co Donegal, this morning.

Speaking in Irish, Mr McGinley said the future of the agency is secure. While the “status quo” will be retained, the Minister said retention of the agency’s core functions would be subject to a number of conditions.

Údarás will no longer have an elected board. Instead, it will have to operate with a “significantly” reduced board made up of appointees. Under existing arrangements, Údarás has 20 board members seventeen of whom are democratically elected by the community and three who are appointed.

It is envisaged that the new board will have between ten and seventeen members elected by the Government and local authorities in counties with Gaeltacht regions.

This will save an estimated €500,000, the Minister said.

Minister McGinley said his office will assume statutory powers to enable it to direct Údarás na Gaeltachta to focus its “limited resources” towards specific enterprise sectors.

A mechanism will be developed to facilitate co-operation with other non-Gaeltacht enterprise agencies, particularly with regard to significant projects with high potential.

Details of this measure will not be revealed until legislation is prepared later this year.

Minister McGinley also outlined Government plans to implement the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language.

He said the Gaeltacht would be defined by broader linguistic criteria rather than the geographical basis that is currently the case.

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will retain primary responsibility for the Irish language within and outside of the Gaeltacht and Foras na Gaeilge will continue in its current role aas the agency of the North South Language Implementation Body.

The plan, which Minister McGinley said was agreed by Cabinet on Tuesday, received a mixed response from interest groups with most welcoming the decision for Údarás to retain its core responsibilities.

Údarás na Gaeltachta described it as a “vote of confidence” in the agency. It said it hoped to play “a central role” in agreeing the new jobs mechanism with enterprise agencies to ensure Gaeltacht communities are best poised to benefit from future projects.

Conradh na Gaeilge’s Julian de Spáinn welcomed the main thrust of the announcement but questioned the decision to appoint the agency’s board.

Mr de Spáinn said the decision would “break the connection” between Údarás and the community it serves.

Fianna Fáil described the move to end the election of board members as a “direct affront to democracy”.

“The vast majority of Councillors in counties with Gaeltacht regions are not from the Gaeltacht and have no connection to it whatsoever,” said Michael Kitt, the party’s spokesman on Gaeltacht Affairs.

Deputy Kitt was also critical of the Minister’s failure to dampen speculation about the role of non-Gaeltacht bodies in enterprise planning.

Calling on the Minister to clarify if Údarás would retain its independent enterprise function, Deputy Kitt said there were “fresh concerns that it may no longer be the primary job creation agency in the Gaeltacht.”