The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, Jack Chambers announced today that funding of €3,663,280 will be provided for the language planning process for Foras na Gaeilge and Údarás na Gaeltachta this year. Funding of €3,169,380 has been approved for Údarás na Gaeltachta and €494,000 for Foras na Gaeilge to enable them to advance the language planning process this year.
Visiting Waterford, Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport Jack Chambers, today officially launched the Dungarvan Gaeltacht Service Town Language Plan.
The language plan was compiled by Dún Garbháin le Gaeilge to set up the language planning process in Dungarvan. A Language Planning Officer will be employed to implement the plan under the direction of the organisation and with the support of Foras na Gaeilge.
The Dungarvan language plan is the seventh language plan approved for a language planning group outside the Gaeltacht, between Irish Language Networks and Gaeltacht Service Towns. Foras na Gaeilge provides ongoing support to these Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks to prepare and implement language plans, with its new Gaelphobal campaign highlighting the good work being done in these areas.
Communities from Letterkenny, West Belfast, Galway, Loughrea, Carntogher, Clondalkin and Ennis are active in this campaign, encouraging their communities to use the Irish language as they take part in events in their community. With plans now approved in Tralee and Dungarvan, these Irish language communities are flourishing throughout the country.
Minister Catherine Martin said today:
“There is a lot of work underway around the country as communities promote the Irish language at a local level. Údarás na Gaeltachta and Foras na Gaeilge have a significant responsibility in relation to the area of Language Planning work, and both organisations are co-operating accordingly with my Department. I commend all the communities involved in this work. They bring vitality and spirit to the Language Planning effort.”
As he approved the Dungarvan Language Plan, Minister of State Chambers said:
“I would like to congratulate Dún Garbhán le Gaeilge - the Lead Organisation of the Gaeltacht Service Town - and all those involved in putting together the language plan for the town. As with all the plans already in place, the Dungarvan language plan will provide opportunities for the town community to be central to the extra effort required to ensure the safe and secure transmission of the Irish language to generations to come. The significant funding we have announced today will support the implementation of the language planning process in Dungarvan, the Déise Gaeltacht and throughout the country, in order to strengthen the position of the Irish language.”
In addition, Minister of State Chambers is taking the opportunity to visit Coláiste na Rinne, a summer college that has been in existence for over 100 years. The Minister met with representatives from the college, Comhlucht Forbartha na nDéise which is the lead organisation for the Language Plan and the Language Planning Officer who works in the Language Planning Area. The Déise Language Plan has now been in operation for a number of years and the lead organisation, the Language Planning Officer and all local people are doing vital work to protect and develop the Irish language and culture.
ENDS
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Note for the Editor
- Language plans for all 26 Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas have now been approved.
- To date 6 Gaeltacht Service Towns have been approved under the process - Letterkenny, Daingean Uí Chúis, Galway City, An Clochán Liath, Tralee and now Dungarvan.
- The Department is currently considering another plan - a plan for the Castlebar Gaeltacht Service Town.
- 22 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 Cahersiveen, Cork City, Clifden and Ballinrobe.
- Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for assisting Dungarvan Gaeltacht Service Town to implement the language plan – similar to the the other towns which are not in the Gaeltacht. Údarás na Gaeltachta will be responsible for assisting Language Planning Areas located in the Gaeltacht.
- An annual budget of up to 80,000 per annum over a 7 year period will be provided for the Dungarvan language plan.
- 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/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nXh1XrKMDc