Brian O'Shea
Question:146 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of money his Department has spent on the Irish language in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15071/03]
Written Answers. - Irish Language.
Brian O'Shea
Question:147 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his Department's objective in relation to its expenditure on the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15085/03]
Brian O'Shea
Question:148 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the monitoring system his Department has in place in regard to his Department's objective in relation to the Irish language; the expenditure in achieving that objective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15099/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 to 148, inclusive, together.
My Department's objectives in relation to expenditure on the Irish language are to support and encourage the members of the Department who wish to improve their knowledge of the Irish language; to provide a service through Irish to members of the public who wish to conduct their business with the Department in Irish; and to assist Irish language organisations who are engaged in North-South cross-Border projects.
Training courses in Irish are provided for all staff wishing to improve their level of Irish. Most of the courses are provided by Gaeleagras, the cost of which is met by the Department of Finance. The amount expended by this Department on the provision of additional Irish language training during the past five years amounts to €7,101.90 broken down as follows: 1998 –€381.00; 1999 –€625.52; 2000 –€88.90; 2001 –€3,363.12; and 2002 –€2,643.
My Department has at its disposal a reconciliation fund for North-South and Anglo-Irish co-operation and the grants listed below were made the during the years 1998-2002 to Irish language organisations who have been active in the area of cross-community and cross-Border outreach and reconciliation.
1999 Allocation
|
£ |
|
|
Gaelscoil Uí Néill |
50,000 |
2000 Allocations
|
£ |
|
|
Naíscoil an Lóiste Úir |
30,000 |
|
Tír na nÓg Glinntí Aontroma |
2,500 |
|
Craobh Cholm Cille – Droichead Project (Doire) |
35,000 |
|
Gaelscoil na gCeithre Máistrí |
2,000 |
|
Naíscoil na Banna (Portadown) |
30,000 |
|
Naíscoil Ard Eoin (Ardoyne) |
25,000 |
|
POBAL (Bothar na bhFál, Béal Feirste) |
5,000 |
2001 Allocations
|
£ |
|
|
Iomairt Cholm Cille / The Columba Initiative |
25,000 |
|
Naíscoil Bheann Mhadagáin |
25,000 |
|
Club Óige Mhacaire Botháin (Belfast) |
10,000 |
2002 Allocations
|
€ |
|
|
Gaeláras |
100,000 |
|
Cairde Bunscoil Phobal Feirste |
30,000 |
The services provided by the Department to members of the public, who wish to carry out their business through Irish, are regularly monitored. The grants given to organisations for Irish language projects are subject to the usual evaluation and audit criteria.