Cross-Border Co-operation

Thursday, 15 February 2024

Questions (38)

Pauline Tully

Question:

38. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media with the recent restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and the refunctioning of the North-South Ministerial Council, the action she will take to ensure the immediate release of the €700,000 allocated for North-South co-operation in the budget for 2024 to enable Foras na Gaeilge to reopen the scéim forbartha líonraí Gaeilge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6970/24]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

As the Deputy will be aware, funding of the North South Language Body (Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency) has been a challenge in recent years due to the absence of the political institutions in Northern Ireland.

With the recent return of the Executive in Northern Ireland, officials in my Department continue to consult with their counterparts in the Department for Communities, the NI sponsor Department to the North South Language Body, regarding the 2024 budget. Once agreed, this budget will be brought to a future North South Ministerial Council meeting for final approval.