From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Jack Chambers TD, Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, announced today that they are approving a language planning fund worth €3.4m in total for Údarás na Gaeltachta and Foras na Gaeilge to maintain the operation of the language planning process in the current year. This fund will be used to provide annual funding to Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks working to prepare or implement language plans under the process.
To further support the process in relation to the Donegal Gaeltacht specifically, Minister of State Chambers announced that a capital fund worth €64,000 has been approved for 8 initiatives under the department’s Community and Language Supports Programme. He announced this during a visit to the Donegal Gaeltacht - where he visited Dungloe, announced that the town was now recognised as a Gaeltacht Service Town and launched a language plan for the Rosses area.
Minister Martin said:
“I am delighted to approve a significant fund again this year for Údarás na Gaeltachta and Foras na Gaeilge to advance the implementation of the language planning process in the current year. Since the implementation of the process began seven years ago, significant progress has been made towards the implementation of all 26 Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas from the bottom up with the continued assistance of the department, the Údarás and Foras na Gaeilge as applicable. With the recognition of Dungloe as a Gaeltacht Service Town, another step forward has been made for the welfare of the Irish language in the town and surrounding area.
"With the continued assistance of my department, the opportunities being provided to Gaeltacht communities and the Irish-speaking community are constantly being strengthened to shape what they want from the Irish language within their own communities.”
While visiting the Donegal Gaeltacht today, the Minister of State Chambers said:
“At the heart of the language planning process in the broadest sense is the basic principle of bottom-up and top-down. As a result of the government's ongoing commitment and the ongoing commitment of the Gaeltacht community to implement the process, the department, other relevant state bodies and Irish language and Gaeltacht organisations are able to work more closely together than ever for the benefit of the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht. That is a great thing. In parallel with the fruitful work being undertaken at community level under the process, work is also underway to build from the top down. In that context, I would like to mention the work that I am currently undertaking in order to bring the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019 through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
"I would like to congratulate the lead organisations of the Rosses Language Planning Area and Dungloe Gaeltacht Service Town - Coiste Pleanála Teanga na Rosann agus Forbairt na Rosann CTR - for what has been done to date. These language plans will certainly support each other in their implementation. I also congratulate Údarás na Gaeltachta who are supporting the implementation of these language plans with the funding of the department and all those who are participating in the language planning process in the area. The significant language planning funding announced indicates that the government is committed to the language planning process and that ongoing support will be provided for the implementation of these plans and for the process as a whole. This funding and the announced capital fund will ensure that the good work being done for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht here in Donegal will continue.”
A total of €3,404,500 has been approved as a 2021 language planning allowance.
Funding of €2,751,000 has been approved for Údarás na Gaeltachta and €653,500 for Foras na Gaeilge to enable them to advance the language planning process as it relates to them respectively. These are an increase on the sums of €2,327,000 for Údarás na Gaeltachta and €356,000 for Foras na Gaeilge approved last year.
The funding will be used to enhance the capacity of the organisations to advance the language planning process, providing funding for the preparation and implementation of plans and to support activities of Údarás na Gaeltachta and Foras na Gaeilge for the language planning process.
This allocation is in support of the commitment given in measures 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.12 of the government's Action Plan 2018-2022 for the Irish Language launched in June 2018. The Plan and other information about the Plan is available on the department's website, which there is a link to below.
Of the 26 Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, 22 plans have already been approved - seven of which are in County Donegal. To date 3 Gaeltacht Service Towns have been approved under the process, Letterkenny, Dingle and Galway City. Dungloe is the fourth approved Gaeltacht Service Town.
The department is currently considering three other plans - the Aran Islands language plan, the Clear Island language plan, and a plan for the Tralee Gaeltacht Service Town.
19 Language Planning Officers and 4 Assistant Language Planning Officers are employed and are implementing plans to date.
In relation to the Gaeltacht Service Towns, the process of preparing plans is underway for the following towns: Dungarvan, Caherciveen, Castlebar and Cork City.
Údarás na Gaeltachta will be responsible for assisting Dungloe Gaeltacht Service Town in this case in implementing the language plan - like the other towns in the Gaeltacht – i.e. An Daingean, Belmullet. Forás na Gaeilge is responsible for assisting Gaeltacht Service Towns that are not in the Gaeltacht.
An annual budget of up to €80,000 a year will be provided over a period of 7 years once the plans are approved under the process; other than Galway and Cork city for which a yearly budget of €100,000 each will be provided.
The government's Action Plan 2018 - 2022 for the Irish Language provides a comprehensive overview of what is going on and planned for the benefit of the Irish language and the Gaeltacht - which can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/ga/eolas-polasaithe/plean-gniomhaiochta-2018-go-2022/
To support the process, a capital fund of €64,000 is being approved under the department's Community and Language Supports Programme which supports various Gaeltacht organisations to carry out refurbishment and other works as well as the purchase of equipment. The table below sets out the composition of the fund being approved:
| Organisation | Language Planning Area | Permitted |
| Coiste Forbartha Dún Lúiche – equipment for the community hall | Gaoth Dobhair, Rann na Feirste, Anagaire & Loch an Iúir | €4,881 |
| Gaoth Dobhair GAA – equipment for the gym and hall | Gaoth Dobhair, Rann na Feirste, Anagaire & Loch an Iúir | €9,010 |
| Coiste Tuismitheoirí Scoil Chonaill - play and sport equipment | Gaoth Dobhair, Rann na Feirste, Anagaire & Loch an Iúir | €6,520 |
| Ionad Pobail Theilinn – sound system | South Donegal | €1,782 |
| Coiste Tuismitheoirí Scoil Chonaill - play and sport equipment | North Donegal | €1,093 |
| Gaoth Dobhair Aontaithe - Temporary poles to be added to club axes | Gaoth Dobhair, Rann na Feirste, Anagaire & Loch an Iúir | €1,520 |
| Ruagairí an Chéidigh - fence around pitch and ball keeping net | Na Rosa | €33,698 |
| Coiste Tuismitheoirí Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair – engraver | Gaoth Dobhair, Rann na Feirste, Anagaire & Loch an Iúir | €5,500 |
| Total | €64,004 |