From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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Today the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, Catherine Martin, and the Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Patrick O’Donovan, announced a significant funding package for the Irish language in the community, as well as for the language-based arts, businesses, parents and young people in the Gaeltacht.
The Ministers also launched the Strategy for Language-Based Arts today in addition to a financial package of almost €10 million to commence its implementation. This package includes four-year funding of €5.78 million for An Taibhdhearc, Amharclann Náisiúnta na Gaeilge for the period 2024 to 2027 as well as €4.085 million for Oireachtas na Gaeilge for its National Action Plan to develop, strengthen and promote Irish language-based arts across the country in the period 2024-2027. On top of that, an allocation of €5.445 million has been approved for the Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta organisation for the rollout of its work programme for the period 2024 to 2026. Funding of over €1.9 million has also been announced for Údarás na Gaeltachta for a new support programme to encourage the use of Irish among Gaeltacht businesses in the services, retail and hospitality sectors, while €3.734 million has been provided to Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta to provide early years services in the Gaeltacht.
Speaking about the support package, Minister Catherine Martin said:
“I am delighted to be announcing, along with Minister O’Donovan, a significant investment package for the Irish language and for the Gaeltacht today, while also launching a new Strategy for the Language-Based Arts.
"An Taibhdhearc has a unique place in our cultural heritage and I am glad that we are in a position to approve this funding to implement this ambitious development plan for the theatre. This investment will strengthen Irish language theatre, foster creativity and ensure a vibrant future for our language and the language-based arts.
"The National Action Plan for the language-based arts is another hugely positive measure which will be implemented by Oireachtas na Gaeilge throughout the country. An tOireachtas have shown unrelenting dedication and expertise in the promotion of the Irish language and our culture. Today’s announcement constitutes an investment in a new structure which will ensure growth in the Irish language-based arts in the years to come.
"I wish to express my gratitude to all of the organisations and stakeholders who assisted the department in delivering these measures. The number of services made available to parents and to young people will increase as a result of this investment, which will encourage the use of Irish in the community and support the language planning process.”
Speaking in An Taibhdhearc today, Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan said:
“This major investment represents a huge step forward in the language planning process. It is my hope that the business community, parents, artists and the public benefit from the measures announced today and that they participate in the strengthening and promotion of the Irish language in the Gaeltacht and among the wider public outside of the Gaeltacht.
"I have no doubt that this funding will facilitate the blossoming of Irish language drama and help put An Taibhdhearc in a position where it can properly function as the National Irish Language Theatre and as a development hub for Irish language drama. Oireachtas na Gaeilge will also have a very important role as it implements its National Action Plan across the country over the years ahead.
"This allocations for Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta and for Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta will enable both organisations to recruit additional staff in order to expand their services across the entire Gaeltacht.
"In total, this is the most significant funding package announced for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht during the term of this government.”
The Strategy for the Language-Based Arts lays out strategic ways to promote and strengthen the language-based arts in the wider public but also to include them in the education system and the early-years sector in partnership with various departments and institutions. This strategy will provide a stronger footing for the language-based arts when the recommendations therein are implemented.
The major objectives proposed by An Taibhdhearc as a result of the additional investment include the following:
Later this year, the board of An Taibhdhearc will commence the establishment of the new structure and the appointment of the organisation’s new team; it is estimated that the new structure and the theatre’s artistic programme will be fully underway by the first quarter of 2025.
The aim of the National Action Plan is to implement the vision of An tOireachtas that the Irish Language-based Arts be practiced thoughtfully, enthusiastically, joyfully and energetically by people of all age groups across the country to express themselves creatively through the prism of Irish language-based arts; and that the public have broad access to artistic expression and practice development projects in the Irish language.
The projects to be implemented by An tOireachtas under the Action Plan include:
A network of Regional Arts Facilitators is to be established and will undertake the implementation of this plan over the period to 2027.
Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta already employ six people and, as part of the allocation approved today, up to ten more are to be employed so that the organisation’s services can be expanded across the Gaeltacht. Five additional sub-offices are to be opened by the organisation across the Gaeltacht, and they hope to make use of the services of the gteic network – the Gaeltacht Digital Network – in order to achieve this. This is a significant increase of €3,441,960 on the three-year funding approved for Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta for the years 2021-2023.
The Support Programme for Businesses with Irish is a new support programme which will be developed and implemented in ten towns across the Gaeltacht. The initiative will focus on enabling businesses to provide high-quality service in Irish to the Gaeltacht community and to tourists, as well as increasing the visibility of Irish in these towns, while fostering and promoting their strong Gaelic identity. This Programme will focus on Gaeltacht businesses in the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors. These are sectors, other than the tourism sector, which An tÚdarás is unable to support through the funding schemes it currently operates.
Údarás na Gaeltachta established Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta Teo. (CNNG) in 2004 to manage and administer early education infrastructure for the network of naíonraí and childcare services based in the Gaeltacht. The three-year allocation approved for the organisation for the period 2023-2026 represents an increase of almost 50%. This will enable the organisation to implement an agreed work programme in support of both the language planning process and the Gaeltacht education policy. The organisation will create 4 additional jobs which will enable it to achieve goals set out in its strategic plan over the next three years.