Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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47. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason a €6 million cut was carried out in budget 2017 to islands and Gaeltacht communities, taking into account the threat these communities already face to their survival, particularly in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31035/16]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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An additional allocation of €2.25m in total was provided in Budget 2017 for the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and Islands Programme.

With regard to Údarás na Gaeltachta, an additional €1m in once-off capital funding had been secured as part of the 2016 Revised Estimates. This has been retained for next year, which means that €6.687m is the new capital baseline in Budget 2017 for Údarás na Gaeltachta – an increase of €1m on the baseline in Budget 2016. In addition, I have secured an additional allocation of €2.4m for Údarás for capital projects in 2016. I will continue to seek additional capital resources for Údarás over the coming period.

With regard to current funding, the additional amount of €1 .5m provided in Budget 2017 for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht will enable my Department to allocate extra resources to the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language, the language planning process, Gaeltacht support schemes such as the Irish Language Colleges and Gaeltacht community groups funded by Údarás na Gaeltachta.

The Budget Estimates for 2017, which were published recently by my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, contain an allocation of €46.736m in total for programme expenditure on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands. This compares to a budget of €51.21 million for 2016. The reduction is mainly attributable to a reduction in the capital allocation in 2017. There was a €6 million allocation in 2016 for development works on Inis Oírr pier – which were not ready to proceed this year – and a sum of €2 million is being provided for 2017. I am satisfied this will be sufficient to advance the development in 2017 and, of course, a further allocation will be made to the project in 2018. In addition, the 2016 Estimates included an allocation of €1.9 million for Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh in Ros Muc. This project will be completed this year and will not require a financial allocation in 2017.