Two language plans announced by Minister of State Chambers while visiting Irish language organisations in Galway and the Connemara Gaeltacht

• Galway recognised as the third Gaeltacht Service Town under the language planning process

• Language Plan for Bearna & Cnoc na Cathrach approved

Jack Chambers TD, Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, today (13th May 2021) announced on a visit to Galway City and the Connemara Gaeltacht that he he has approved two further language plans under the language planning process, in respect of Galway City and the Gaeltacht Language Planning Area of Bearna & Cnoc na Cathrach respectively.

He made the announcement while visiting the headquarters of Gaillimh le Gaeilge (who will lead on the implementation of the langauge plan for Galway City plan) and Áras Mhic Amhlaigh in Cnoc na Cathrach where he announced the approval under the process, of the language plan for Bearna and Cnoc na Cathrach.

An annual fund of up to €100,000 each over a seven year period will be provided to assist with the implementation of each of these two plans. This amounts to an investment of over €3m being announced for the development of the Irish language in Galway City and Gaeltacht - taking into account the 3-year funding of up to €1.6m also being announced for the organisation Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta for the period of 01 January 2021 to 31 December 2023.

Minister of State Chambers said: “I would like to congratulate Gaillimh le Gaeilge, Galway City Council and other stakeholders who actively participated in the preparation of the plan for the city. Galway has a particular importance with regard to the Irish language, as the city serves and borders the largest Gaeltacht region in the country. Given that the value and importance of the Irish language as a living language in terms of culture and ecomony is already widely acknowledged in the city and the surrounding area, the implementation of this plan will no doubt be strongly supported. With the continued assistance from my Department and Foras na Gaeilge, Gaillimh le Gaeilge will continue to work in partnership with relevant stakeholdersbodies, such as Galway City Council, to implement the plan.

“The approval of the language plan for Bearna and Cnoc na Cathrach marks another milestone. I would like to commend the lead organisation for their excellent work, in cooperation with Údarás na Gaeltachta thus far in preparing the plan. Coiste Stiúrtha Pleanála Teanga Bhearna & Cnoc na Cathrach has done great work to date in this regard”.

It is easy to forget perhaps that approx. 700 children receive their education through the Irish language in Bearna and Cnoc na Cathrach. Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, along with other primary schools in the area, and of course Coláiste na Coiribe continue to play a key role in all of this. With the capital investment of almost €1m by my Department in recent times to support the provision of early-years and other Irish-language activities in Árus Mhic Amhlaigh, there exists a strong Irish community in the area which is deserving of our support”

ENDS

Note for the Editor:

The Language Planning Process

Gaeltacht Service Towns are towns in, or adjacent to Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas which play a significant role in the delivery of public services and leisure, social and commercial amenities to the communities in those areas. Under the Gaeltacht Act, 2012, the town has to have a population of at least 1,000, according to the most recent census, if it is to be considered a Gaeltacht Service Town.

As a result of a public consultation process the Department organised in the summer of 2014, 16 towns were chosen that could be recognised as Gaeltacht service towns, subject to the agreement of language plans for those towns:

County Town

Donegal Letterkenny, An Clochán Liath and Donegal Town

Mayo Béal an Mhuirthead, Ballinrobe and Castlebar

Galway Galway City and Clifden

Kerry Daingean Uí Chúis, Tralee and Cahersiveen

Cork Cork City and Macroom

Waterford Dungarvan

Meath Athboy and Navan

• The Gaeltacht Service Town of Galway is the third plan approved. Daingean Uí Chúis and Letterkenny have been approved previously.

• The Department is currently examining the An Clochán Liath language plan and language plans are being prepared at present in respect of 5 other towns - Castlebar, Cahersiveen, Cork, Dungarvan and Tralee. It is anticipated that the preparation of a language plan for Clifden will begin shortly.

• Foras na Gaeilge in this case, will be responsible for assisting Gaillimh to implement the language plan – similar to the the other towns in the above list which are not in the Gaeltacht. Údarás na Gaeltachta is responsible for the three towns above which are in the Gaeltacht, An Daingean, Béal an Mhuirthead and An Clochán Liath.

• An annual budget of up to €80,000 a year will be provided over a period of 7 years once the plans of Gaeltacht Service Towns are approved under the process; other than Galway and Cork city for which a yearly budget of €100,000 each will be provided.

• The Bearna and Cnoc na Cathrach language plan is the 22nd such plan approved to date under the language planning process. The Department is currently examining four plans while the plan in respect of An Ghaeltacht Láir will be shortly submitted for approval under the process.

• With the approval of the Bearna & Cnoc na Cathrach plan, all three Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas located around Galway City have now been approved -

o Bearna & Cnoc na Cathrach

o Oirthear Chathair na Gaillimhe

o An tEachréidh

• There are 22 Language Planning Officers employed in the Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas (18 Language Planning Officers and 4 Assistant Language Planning Officers)

• 3 Irish Language Networks have been approved under the process up until now – Ennis, Loughrea and Clondalkin.

There are more details about the language planning process available at:

https://www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/an-proiseas-pleanala-teanga/