The Gaeltacht Act 2012 was enacted in July 2012. It is intended that the initial Orders and Regulations, associated with the language planning process prescribed in the Act, will be made by June 2013. It is at that stage that communities will be officially invited to prepare language plans under the Act. However, initial steps have been taken by Údarás na Gaeltachta with a view to commencing the language planning process with organisations and communities in the areas concerned. Among the main measures being implemented in this regard are:
- the classification of Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas; and
- the development of a system for selecting community organisations to draw up and implement language plans for the various Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas.
These language plans will be prepared in accordance with language planning criteria to be specified in the regulations. This approach puts the communities at the heart of the language planning process since it gives them the opportunity to take ownership of their own plan in their own community. As regards funding, a sum of €3.4m has been allocated to Údarás na Gaeltachta for 2013 in relation to language-based activities in the Gaeltacht and the promotion of the language planning process in particular. An amount in excess of €8.2m has also been made available to my Department for 2013 to fund various Irish Language support schemes in the Gaeltacht.
