Vol. 577 No. 5
207 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on whether ?300,000 will be sufficient to launch an effective language awareness campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31699/03]
208 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the areas in which the ?300,000 to launch a language awareness campaign will be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31700/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 208 together.
The allocation of €300,000, which I announced on 10 December 2003, relates to the initiation of a language awareness campaign, the aim of which will be to inform prospective parents and parents of children between the age of 0 and 5 years, who are resident in the Gaeltacht, of the advantages of choosing Irish as the main language of the household. While the campaign will focus primarily on parents in that target group, it is expected to generate an additional benefit of heightening awareness nationally regarding the advantages of possessing fluency in Irish. This approach is in line with the relevant proposals contained in the report of Coimisiún na Gaeltachta.
While television and radio advertisements will form part of the campaign, specific measures will also be undertaken to provide support and advice to parents who wish to raise their children with Irish, including the provision of suitably designed literature. I expect the campaign, which will be implemented by my Department in association with Údarás na Gaeltachta, will be ready to launch early in the new year.
This is a practical, costed measure that recognises the importance of transmitting the Irish language from one generation to the next and addresses the need to speak Irish to children as much as possible in the early years of their lives. I am confident the allocation of €300,000 provided will be sufficient to deliver real benefits within the framework outlined above.
