The overall expenditure of the State on the Irish language and Gaeltacht remains at 0.17%, with the smallest increase in 4 years announced for the Irish language and Gaeltacht
There was a total of €9m of a funding increase for the Irish language and Gaeltacht as part of yesterday’s budget announcement. That money will be split between the Department for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and TG4. The new total funding announced for the Irish language and Gaeltacht will equal the 0.17% of state expenditure from last year, despite over 130 Irish language and Gaeltacht groups calling for an increase on a staged basis to 0.4% of state expenditure.
The announcement included a package of €4.8m in new funding for TG4 and an extra €4.2m for Irish language and Gaeltacht in 2024.
Speaking on Budget 2024, Paula Melvin, President of Conradh na Gaeilge said:
“Throughout the year, the Irish language and Gaeltacht communities have extensively lobbied the three Government parties to support a new, ambitious vision for the language. We presented them with an Irish Language and Gaeltacht Growth Plan that set out the funding interventions required to address the most pressing issues in our communities. Although we welcome the increase in funding for TG4, and the €4.2m increase for Roinn na Gaeltachta, the increase isn’t sufficient, even to match inflation, and we believe that the Government has missed a major opportunity to do much more.
In the context that over €4 billion has been set aside for the Future Ireland Fund whilst communities are clearly left short, those 138 Gaeltacht and Irish language groups will inevitably wonder why their concerns and legitimate expectations were not met.”
Julian de Spáinn, Ardrúnaí of Conradh na Gaeilge, commented:
“We don’t believe the amount announced in the Budget comes close to what we need. We don’t believe there is any ambition in this funding package and it virtually ignores many of the urgent funding needs put forward by over 130 Irish language and Gaeltacht groups in recent months. Rather than increasing, the overall state expenditure on the Irish language and Gaeltacht is at a stagnant 0.17%. Whilst we welcome the small increase in funding announced today, it is not enough. Every penny counts and I am sure the new funding will make a small difference to TG4 and in other areas, but we needed and expected much much more. This funding package is much the same as what we have seen over the years, a clear lack of ambition and a lack of commitment to meet the growing needs of our community.
We will continue to work with the 138 groups supporting the growth plan in the weeks and months ahead as we work towards ensuring that the Government provides fairness and the required funding that is needed for the Plean Fáis to realise its potential in full.”
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