Lexicography is specifically mentioned as a pillar of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030. The English-Irish online dictionary, foclóir.ie, has over 2.5 million users in Ireland and worldwide annually. The hard-copy Concise English-Irish Dictionary, first published in the autumn of 2020 has already sold over 8,000 copies in the first year and a second edition was printed at the end of 2021.
The Board of Foras na Gaeilge has approved a business plan for a new lexicography project which will cost €2.5m over a 5 year period and will produce two online dictionaries : Irish-Irish and Irish-English.
Based on the priority provided to the lexicography pillar of the 20 Year Strategy and the success of the new English-Irish Dictionary, I recently approved an allocation of €365,000 from my Department's own resources towards this project for 2022. I understand that the Department of Education will also be making a further allocation of €50,000 per annum towards the project and that the remainder of the cost will come from Foras na Gaeilge’s baseline budget.
These new dictionaries, as well as implementing the 20-Year Strategy goals, will place the Irish language on a par with other European languages as regards lexicography provision.