asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the estimated total annual cost to the taxpayers and the ratepayers of the steps which have been taken by the Government to make Eire an Irish-speaking State, including (a) the annual cost of teaching the Irish language in primary and secondary schools and universities; (b) the annual cost of translating and printing official documents in the Irish language; (c) the various annual grants in aid of the Irish language; and (d) other annual expenditures in the revival of the Irish language.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Revival of Irish Language.
As the answer consists mainly of tabular statements, I propose to circulate it with the Official Report.
Following is the answer:
It is estimated that in the financial year 1941-42 contributions amounting in the aggregate to £25,500, were provided by rating authorities out of rates towards the cost of the teaching of Irish under vocational education schemes of vocational education committees.
The provision included in the Estimates for Public Services for the financial year 1942-43 is set out in the subjoined tables, under heads indicating the different categories of expenditure which contributes to the advancement of the Irish language. It amounts in the aggregate to the sum of £319,993. It will be observed that the expenditure under heads II and III is, in the main, not specifically directed to the development of Irish as a spoken language, and is of a kind which would probably be incurred irrespective of policy directed towards the restoration of the language.
I.
EXPENDITURE hypothecated directly for the advancement of the language.
Vote |
Service |
Amount |
£ |
||
Houses of the Oireachtas |
Translation Staff |
3,542 |
Old Age Pensions |
Examinations in Irish |
10 |
Commissions and Special Inquiries |
Commission on Irish in the Civil Service |
474 |
Stationery and Printing |
Cost of Irish versions of official documents, etc. Grants to newspapers and periodicals published in Irish or publishing current news in Irish Publication of Irish translation of New Testament |
16,364 |
Grants to newspapers and periodicals published in Irish or publishing current news in Irish |
1,300 |
|
Publication of Irish translation of New Testament |
400 |
|
Universities and Colleges |
Additional grant to University College, Galway, for advancement of Irish generally |
9,200 |
Further grant to University College, Galway, for lectureship through Irish |
380 |
|
Grant to University College, Dublin, for Department of Modern Irish language and literature |
3,000 |
|
Agriculture |
Teaching of Irish in Agricultural Schools |
90 |
Gárda Síochána |
Allowances to Gárdaí serving in special Gaeltacht Areas |
6,100 |
Circuit Court |
Interpreters |
100 |
Local Government and Public Health |
Grants in respect of training of native Irish speakers in hospital nursing |
560 |
Office of the Minister for Education |
Staff connected with Gaeltacht Bonus Scheme |
2,715 |
Staff of Publications Branch |
4,828 |
|
Primary Education |
Grants to Colleges providing courses in Irish for Primary Teachers |
800 |
Special grants to teachers of certain schools in the Fíor-Ghaeltacht |
7,000 |
|
Allowances to teachers in scheduled Bilingual Schools |
600 |
|
Bonus to parents or guardians of certain pupils in the Gaeltacht and Breac-Ghaeltacht |
22,000 |
|
Holiday scholarships in Gaeltacht |
1,000 |
|
Secondary Education |
Grant for Irish and Bilingual Schools |
15,200 |
Special increments to teachers for teaching through Irish |
11,000 |
|
Secondary scholarships for children from Irish-speaking homes in the Fíor-Ghaeltacht |
7,700 |
|
Prizes for Irish |
15 |
|
Publication of secondary school Text Books in Irish |
1,400 |
|
Grants to Colleges providing courses in Irish attended by Secondary Teachers |
70 |
|
Technical Instruction |
Scholarships to Coláiste Tighis for Fíor-Ghaeltacht students |
624 |
Proportion of grants to Vocational Education Committee which, it is estimated, is expended on the teaching of Irish in Vocational Schools |
38,900 |
|
Science and Art |
Publications in Irish |
3,500 |
Production of Plays in Irish |
1,818 |
|
Scholarships to Gaeltacht Students |
2,297 |
|
An t-Oireachtas—Grant-in-Aid |
500 |
|
Army |
Salary of translator of military manuals, orders, etc. |
458 |
TOTAL |
163,945 |
II.
EXPENDITURE on language projects which have primarily an academic bearing and which might be undertaken, irrespective of the language drive, in the interests of Irish scholarship.
Vote |
Service |
Amount |
£ |
||
Miscellaneous Expenses |
Grant-in-Aid of publication of Contribution to the Lexicography of Early Irish |
1,000 |
Proportion of general Grant-in-Aid to Royal Irish Academy estimated for Irish Studies |
1,060 |
|
Stationery and Printing |
Editing, printing, etc. of certain Irish Texts |
5 |
Ordnance Survey |
Materials for facsimile reproduction of ancient manuscripts |
5 |
Science and Art |
Irish Folklore Commission |
3,650 |
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies |
School of Celtic Studies—Proportion of cost of administration |
2,640 |
School of Celtic Studies—annual grant |
8,620 |
|
TOTAL |
£16,980 |
III.
EXPENDITURE on schemes or services which, although contributing to the advancement of Irish, nevertheless serve other purposes. In this category will be found provisions related to the relief of distress and congestion in Gaeltacht areas, the replacement of the monitorial and pupil-teacher system of training national teachers by the Preparatory College system and the relief of unemployment amongst national teachers.
Vote |
Service |
Amount |
£ |
||
Public Works and Buildings |
Preparatory Colleges (Building and Improvements) |
3,000 |
Preparatory Colleges (Maintenance, repairs, rates, supplies and other current charges) |
9,309 |
|
Gaeltacht Industries |
12,295 |
|
Agriculture |
Special schemes in Gaeltacht areas |
820 |
Advertisements in Irish |
350 |
|
Instruction of Gaeltacht migrants |
360 |
|
Primary Education |
Preparatory Colleges |
25,026 |
(The Preparatory College system of training superseded the monitorial system, the cost of which was approximately £20,000 per annum.) |
||
Additional teachers for schools weak in Irish |
14,500 |
|
Technical Instruction |
Special grants to Vocational Education Committees for continuation education or technical education in the Gaeltacht (Section 103 (2) of the Vocational Education Act, 1930). |
2,850 |
Local Government and Public Health |
Grants under the Schools Meals (Gaeltacht) Acts |
10,000 |
Gaeltacht Services |
Gaeltacht Services including Housing Grants |
59,958 |
Army |
Cost of preference given for contracts carried out in the Gaeltacht |
600 |
TOTAL |
£139,068 |