Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

373. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the details of the issue of paying bean an tí (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22016/20]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware that in May this year my Department approved a once-off emergency measure worth €4.7m to support the stabilisation of the Gaeltacht Irish summer college sector.

The measure followed the cancellation, on 20th April 2020, of Irish summer college courses by my Department in the interests of protecting public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the stabilisation package, up to €3.1m is being directed at enabling college authorities to refund fees/deposits to parents in full in respect of 2020 courses, while a further €1.6m is being allocated towards supporting the c. 700 certified Gaeltacht householders who normally provide accommodation to the approx. 26,000 students who attend one of the 42 recognised colleges during the summer months. The majority of this funding has now been paid out by my Department.

The standard rate payable under the stabilisation package is up to 40% of the daily payment of €10 normally payable by my Department under Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge (SFG). This works out at €4 per student per night. The total payment per household has been based on the number of students in respect of whom SFG was paid for the period from April to August 2019. In seeking to make this payment, my Department has taken due account of the significant investment made by householders in meeting the standards (e.g. fire safety compliance and additional sleeping space) required for recognition under the terms of the scheme.

The stabilisation fund is being provided as a specific once-off measure with the overall objective of ensuring the ongoing viability of the sector - thereby enabling it to continue to contribute to the systematic effort being made to support the language and Gaeltacht regions in line with the overarching objectives of the Government’s 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 and the accompanying 5-Year Action Plan for the Irish Language 2018-2022.

Based, not least, on the broadly positive feedback regarding the measure from relevant stakeholders within the Irish summer colleges sector, I am satisfied that the measure is proving to be effective.