Release 12/10/2021
Conradh na Gaeilge welcomes the extra €10.5 million in Budget 2022 for the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht
However, the additional funding for Údarás na Gaeltachta is not sufficient and it is clear that there is a significant problem with the funding of Foras na Gaeilge which needs to be addressed.
Conradh na Gaeilge welcomed the additional €10.5 million announced today, by the Government in the south, in the budget for Irish language and Gaeltacht organisations and projects. However, the amount of funding confirmed is less than the €23 million sought by the organisation and we believe some opportunities have been missed and that there will be some gaps in 2022.
Dr. Niall Comer, President of Conradh na Gaeilge said:
“I would especially like to congratulate TG4 on the additional €4.2 million confirmed for the station for next year. I hope that this additional funding will enhance TG4 's ability to provide programs in Irish to the public. This additional funding moves the station closer to their goal of having the same funding as S4C in Wales and we support them in their call for this funding.
I also welcome the extra funding for language planning in the community, which recognises the great work that is currently being done, and the extra money that will be available to help Irish language and Gaeltacht organisations throughout the country.”
Julian de Spáinn, General Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge said:
“While acknowledging the progress made over the last two years in the budget, we are of the opinion that more funding is needed, especially to increase employment in the Gaeltacht and to fund Foras na Gaeilge properly. It is clear that there is a systemic and serious problem with the Foras’s funding, when it's taken into account that their funding is still less than it was 10 years ago, and this needs to be addressed before the next budget. The cross-border structure is not giving the Irish language community a fair go in terms of funding and this needs to be resolved."
Conradh na Gaeilge will continue to advance the needs of the Irish language and Gaeltacht community and to achieve fairness in funding.
