Written answers

Tuesday, 25 October 2016

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Estimates Process

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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377. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will consider increasing the funding for the Irish language organisations, Foras na Gaeilge and Údarás na Gaeltachta, whose budgets have been reduced by over 50% since 2008, and which received no additional funding in budget 2017; if she will consider reversing the 2016 cut of 40% to the Seachtain na Gaeilge budget; if she will consider reversing the 35% funding cut to Irish language summer camps which resulted in the number of camps falling from 92 in 2015 to 59 in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31936/16]

Photo of Seán KyneSeán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I refer the Deputy to my replies to recent Parliamentary Questions in regard to the 2017 Estimate provisions.

As set out in these replies, 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.

The Deputy may also be aware that in order to further underpin the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy and the language planning process, as set out in Acht na Gaeltachta 2012, a specific allocation of €1m has also been provided in the current year. As announced in Budget 2017, this allocation is being increased to €1.25m for next year and will further enable my Department, acting in co-operation with Údarás na Gaeltachta and relevant stakeholders at community level, to implement a range of specific and practical measures aimed at both supporting the implementation of the Strategy, as well as the language planning process in Gaeltacht areas.

A further increase of €1m in current funding provided in Budget 2017 for the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and Islands programme area will enable my Department to allocate extra resources to Gaeltacht support schemes such as the Irish Language Colleges and Gaeltacht community groups funded by Údarás na Gaeltachta.

The budget for Foras na Gaeilge is subject to approval in due course by the North South Ministerial Council, given its status as an agency of An Foras Teanga, which is a North South Implementation Body co-funded by the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland. An indicative provision of €13.239m has been provided within my Department's Vote for An Foras Teanga in 2017. In regard to funding for specific programmes of work, the dispersal of the budget will be an operational matter for Foras na Gaeilge within the framework of the NSMC approved business plan and budget.

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