Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Irish language community organisations are doing great work with limited resources and they are serving an ever-growing demand. They need to be adequately funded and properly supported. A number of these groups exist in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. It is a constituency that tells a very different tale when one compares the two counties. In Cavan, we need a lot more Gaelscoileanna. Monaghan’s community groups need more resources because they need to be able to better provide Irish-speaking children a chance and a reason to use the language outside of the Gaelscoil.

Funding for this work is provided through Foras na Gaeilge’s scéim forbartha líonraí Gaeilge scheme but since the pandemic, there has been a large pent-up demand for the reopening of the scheme. The Minister of State explained why it cannot be, but is there some way that the community organisations can be supported? There are groups springing up in towns all over the country. Even in Cavan, there are two. There is one in Gaeil Mhuinchille in Cootehill and Gael An Cabhán in Cavan, which opened recently. I am wondering can support be given to the Irish language community organisations and can we recognise the importance of the work by ensuring that there is ring-fenced additional funding through Foras na Gaeilge to allow this scheme to reopen for applications?

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