Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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147. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his views on the proposal made to initiate a twinning programme between Gaeltacht communities and non-Gaeltacht communities where there are efforts to improve levels of spoken Irish; his views that such an effort would be beneficial to both communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10054/14]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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The Gaeltacht Act 2012 sets out the language planning process by which organisations in Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks will be given the opportunity to develop and implement language plans, thereby shaping language development in their own communities into the future.

It is anticipated that the implementation of this language planning process will encourage both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht communities to foster the informal connections that already exist in various guises between them. When one considers, for example, the very significant connections generated annually between host families in Gaeltacht areas who cater for in excess of 20,000 students who attend Irish summer colleges in the Gaeltacht each year, it is clear that such ties between Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht individuals, families and communities can have very significant benefits, both linguistic and economic.