Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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262. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the plans that are being put in place to support mná tí financially and otherwise when the coláistí samhraidh resume in 2022 in view of the challenges that they have faced in 2020 and 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55709/21]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is operating on the basis and the expectation that Irish language colleges will be in a position to re-open in 2022 and, accordingly, the Department will continue to assist the sector primarily by way of administering Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge.

Under the scheme, a daily subsidy is payable to eligible Gaeltacht families who provide accommodation for those attending one of the recognized summer colleges in the Gaeltacht. The purpose of this assistance is to reduce the overall cost of attending an Irish language college.

This daily subsidy is worth €10 per day (equivalent to €220 per student for a three-week course), benefiting over 26,000 students per year while staying in any of the c. 700 families throughout the Gaeltacht identified under the scheme. This represents a state investment of over €4m in support of the sector annually.

The scheme and the Irish colleges sector which it supports provide valuable additional language acquisition and enrichment opportunities in the Gaeltacht for post-primary and third level students, and beyond the schoolroom-setting.

The scheme is in line with the Government's overall objectives for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht as set out in Plean Gníomhaíochta 2018-2022 and the overarching 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010–2030which represent Government policy in relation to the language.

The Deputy will be aware that my Department has established three separate funds this year to further stabilize the sector as a result of COVID-19. The latest fund, worth up to € 1.7m which is currently being successfully disbursed is aimed at college authorities.

This particular support measure follows the announcement over the summer of another two funds worth almost € 2.5m in total. Those measures were aimed at supporting the sector's accommodation providers as well as those involved in the administration on a voluntary basis of community halls which cater for the sector. It is worth noting that the fund provided this year for accommodation providers is 25% higher than the 2020 fund while no fund was provided for the community halls in 2020.

My Department hopes to shortly conclude the processing of applications under the aforementioned fund aimed at supporting the colleges themselves. From the very positive feedback received to date from across the sector in relation to all three funds, including from CONCOS the colleges' umbrella body, I am satisfied that the sector widely recognises and acknowledges the success of the measures devised and implemented by my Department in the most efficient and effective manner possible in the circumstances.

In addition to these measures capital funding continues to be deployed in support of the sector on an ongoing basis under the Department's Community and Language Supports Programme.

I have no doubt that this suite of measures will enable the sector to successfully resume in 2022.

The Deputy can be assured that I will continue to be a strong advocate for the sector as Minister of State for the Gaeltacht.