Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the location of Gaeltacht areas; the criteria for establishing same; when the last Gaeltacht area was established; if same could be established in an urban area; if such applications have been submitted and processed in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45046/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1956, the Government may from time to time, by order, determine specified areas to be included in the Gaeltacht. The Act declares that such specified areas are areas "being substantially Irish-speaking areas and areas contiguous thereto which, in the opinion of the Government, ought to be included in the Gaeltacht with a view to preserving and extending the use of Irish as a vernacular language". Areas determined by Government to be included in the Gaeltacht may be in rural or urban locations.

By means of the Gaeltacht Areas Order 1956, a total of 84 District Electoral Divisions (DEDs) and parts of a further 58 DEDs were determined to be Gaeltacht areas under section 2 of the above-mentioned Act. Three further Orders have since been made - in 1967, 1974 and 1982 – determining additional areas for inclusion in the Gaeltacht.

The Deputy will be aware that the draft 20-year Strategy for the Irish Language has been submitted for consideration by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The draft Strategy contains a number of proposals with regard to Gaeltacht areas. For example, it proposes that Gaeltacht status should be based on linguistic criteria only and given statutory status through a new Gaeltacht Act. It also proposes that there should be provision for "Network Gaeltacht Areas", which would be predominately in urban communities that have achieved a basic critical mass of community and State support for the Irish language, and would be afforded special status accordingly. The draft Strategy will be submitted for final approval by Government when the process of consideration by the Oireachtas Committee is completed.