Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 April 2024
208. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which she and her Department continue to monitor the use of the Irish language throughout the country, its potential in non-Gaeltacht areas and the encouragement of its use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17282/24]
View answerMy Department is committed to promoting and supporting the Irish language outside of the Gaeltacht. In this context, a fund known as ‘Scéimeanna Tacaíochta Gaeilge’ (‘Irish Language Support Schemes’) is in place for many years now with the aim of fostering and promoting the Irish language outside the Gaeltacht.
The projects for which funding has been provided under this scheme include initiatives in the fields of education, business, culture and the arts. My Department works closely with Irish language organisations to identify opportunities for the promotion of the language outside of the Gaeltacht and indeed overseas. The following are examples of some of the initiatives supported by this fund:
Raidió Rí-Rá
Raidió Rí-Rá is a national Irish Language radio station aimed at young people. Raidió Rí-Rá is already broadcasting online and part of the year on FM. The station has been funded by my Department since it was established in 2008 and is gradually growing and developing. My Department has approved an increased funding package for the station this year to enable the station to provide a more complete service to its listeners and to increase its reach to young listeners all over Ireland.
This funding is important in the context of the results of the research commissioned by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (as it was at the time) in the second half of 2022. This research examined the interest and the potential for a full-time hybrid (FM/online) Irish radio service that would target the audience between fifteen and thirty-four years of age in Ireland. The research results demonstrated that young people nationally still listen to audio content, and that radio remains very popular, with almost 90% of respondents listening on a weekly basis. The research also showed that respondents whose first language is English were interested in a new national Irish language station, and are open to engaging with such a station.
An Ciste Spreagtha
Conradh na Gaeilge’s Ciste Spreagtha is a support fund linked to Seachtain na Gaeilge which gives local community groups the opportunity to apply for funding to hold an Irish language event in their local community. The aim of the fund is to encourage community groups inside and outside the Gaeltacht to organise community events that promote the Irish language during Seachtain na Gaeilge in March each year. My Department has funded An Ciste Spreagtha since 2022. In 2023 one hundred and eighty groups received funding to hold Irish language events in every corner of the country. The success of this initiative meant that a longer term agreement was reached with Conradh na Gaeilge which will see the fund in place each year until 2026.
Céad Míle Fáilte
My Department has agreed a two and a half year grant agreement with Conradh na Gaeilge for their Céad Míle Fáilte campaign. The aim of the Céad Míle Fáilte initiative is to attract people from different backgrounds who are now living in Ireland to gain a deeper appreciation of the Irish language and indeed to learn the language. The campaign focuses on the benefits that new Irish communities can derive from the Irish language – in relation to the importance of the language, the additional opportunities associated with it and in terms of integration into Irish society as a whole. The purpose of the campaign is to encourage the new Irish communities in Ireland to learn and use the Irish language as a way to build a stronger Irish identity for themselves. This is done by providing a series of language classes and workshops for special interest to groups of new Irish people around the country and by providing them with language resources to help them learn and use the language. Scholarships are awarded to some of the participants so that they can attend a course in the Gaeltacht.
Gaelbhratach
Gaelbhratach is a support scheme administered by Gael-Linn for schools of all types throughout Ireland. Gaelbhratach focuses on the promotion of the Irish language in a structured, planned and enjoyable way throughout the school community in both primary and secondary schools.
The goal of the Gaelbhratach scheme is to encourage the use of Irish, not only within the classroom, but also as the spoken language of the school community. Emphasis is placed on communicative Irish and the importance of language awareness as a means of learning for children in particular. A Gaelbhratach is duly awarded in recognition of the efforts of the schools. The scheme officially began in the 2012/13 school year at primary level and a year later at post-primary level. Since then, the scheme has been implemented in 133 primary schools and 126 secondary schools around the country. My Department has granted funding for Gael-Linn to ramp up this scheme over the next 3 years which will see 479 schools all over the country having taken part in the scheme by the 2026/27 school year.
Fondúireacht Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha
Fondúireacht Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha is a support scheme run by Glór na nGael and the GAA to promote the use of the Irish language in GAA clubs. My Department has funded the scheme since 2019. The aim of this scheme is to develop the use of the Irish language in participating clubs on a measured and planned basis, with Glór na nGael providing support and advice to enable the clubs to achieve goals in relation to the Irish language. This support includes grants for Irish language events in clubs and an awards scheme to recognise the achievements of the clubs for their work in promoting the Irish language. In 2022, a total of 55 clubs were recognised for their efforts – an indication of the immense work being done by many in the GAA community in relation to the language. The 2023 awards ceremony took place on December 1st 2023 in Croke Park. This scheme has grown significantly since the beginning of the first grant agreement which covered the period 2019-2022. 140 clubs were involved in Fondúireacht Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha initially in 2019, and over 200 clubs are now participants in the scheme.
An Straitéis do na hEalaíona Teangabhunaithe
Research which formed the basis of the Strategy for the Language-based Arts, which my Department published earlier this year, identified the need to establish a structure under which comprehensive support would be given to the development of Language-Based Arts in areas outside the Gaeltacht. It is recognised that there is a need for more support for the language-based arts throughout the country and for Irish language drama in particular. To address this my Department announced a significant three year funding package for Oireachtas na Gaeilge to implement an action plan in this area, thus benefiting from the experience and expertise of organisation in this sector.
Teaching of Irish in Universities Abroad
It is worth noting that interest in the language outside of the Gaeltacht is not confined to non-Gaeltacht areas within Ireland. The international community has a huge interest in learning and engaging with the Irish language and the fund for the teaching of Irish in universities abroad was established in 2006 to address this. The aim of the fund is to encourage and foster goodwill towards the Irish language and Irish culture in general across continental Europe, Great Britain, the United States of America, Canada and further afield. The scheme greatly contributes to the scholarship of the Irish language among the international academic community and has resulted in the status of the language being enhanced.
This fund also provides an opportunity for European universities, the Fulbright Commission and the Canadian Irish University Foundation (ICUF) to award scholarships to students enabling them to visit Ireland and attend Irish language courses in the Gaeltacht during the summer.
My Department remains active in supporting communities in non-Gaeltacht areas in accessing the language in a variety of ways and is continually engaging with organisations working in this sector to identify opportunities to promote the language and to make it accessible to all.
