Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 December 2013
298. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on the progress in creating language plans for Galway Gaeltacht regions as per the provisions of the Gaeltacht Act 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53126/13]
View answerIn line with the language planning process set out under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, existing Gaeltacht areas will be redefined as Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas. On foot of consultations with Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Deputy may recall that I announced in May that there will be 26 such Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, 10 of which will be in the Galway Gaeltacht. It is my intention to formally designate by notice, in line with the provisions of section 7(3) of the Act, the first three Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas as soon as possible. A Language Planning Area in the Galway Gaeltacht will be included.
A number of other key measures are in hand to accelerate the implementation of the process on foot of the publication in September, in line with section 12 of the Act, of the language planning criteria which will apply in approving language plans for Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks. These measures include:
- The finalisation of language planning guidelines, which will explain the language planning process under the Act. The guidelines will also contain guidance on how to prepare and implement plans, as well as clarifying the roles of the various key stakeholders.
- The design of a suitably robust and transparent system by which organisations will be selected by Údarás na Gaeltachta or Foras na Gaeilge, as appropriate, to prepare and implement language plans.
- The provision of up to date quantitative information regarding Irish language usage in the Gaeltacht, as contained in the Comprehensive Linguistic Study of the Use of Irish in the Gaeltacht, 2007. The provision of this up to date data will greatly assist in establishing the current baseline status of the language in Gaeltacht areas. This work, commissioned by Údarás na Gaeltachta, is being undertaken by NIRSA (the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis).
The Deputy may be assured that my Department will continue to advance the implementation of the language planning process in consultation with the various key stakeholders as expeditiously as possible.
