Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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110. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will consider expanding eligibility for the DEIS Gaeltachta scholarship scheme to include students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who do not attend DEIS-designated schools; if he will provide details on any reviews or consultations planned to assess equity of access to Gaeltacht summer college opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34983/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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As the deputy has correctly stated, my Department funds the DEIS Gaeltachta scholarship scheme which is a specific initiative administered by the Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB). The DEIS Gaeltachta scheme commenced in 2019 with an allocation of €50,000 in order to assist in providing language acquisition opportunities to post-primary school students attending DEIS schools to attend recognised Irish summer colleges.

Additional funding was allocated to this initiative since its establishment, growing from €50,000 to €400,000 in recent years. In 2025, total funding available for the scheme was increased to €900,000. With this significant rise in funding, over 800 scholarships are now offered annually. It should be noted also that, in the period since the scheme was established, the Department of Education and Youth has increased the number of post-primary schools with designated DEIS status to over 230, which means the DEIS Gaeltachta scheme is more broadly accessible than ever before.

Each scholarship is worth c.€950 each or 85% of the course fee whichever is lesser, for a three-week course and €820 or 85% of the course fee whichever is lesser, for a two-week course and each scholarship provides a unique opportunity for attendees of DEIS post-primary schools throughout the country to attend a summer college in the Gaeltacht. I understand that the GRETB has indicated that both demand and uptake of scholarships remains high annually. Overall figures for 2025 will be available at the end of the year.

In addition, and in overall support of providing learning opportunities for second-level students, my department provides specific grant-aid under Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge by way of a further measure called Scéim Oileánda (ÁRAINN) Gaeltachta. Under this measure - which has been in operation since 2007, the Department offers grant-aid to recognised households on the Aran Islands who provide accommodation for students attending one of the three island-based post-primary schools for an entire school-year. 30 students per year (10 per island) currently avail of this scheme.

I might also mention the ERASMUS Gaeltachta fund, worth €250,000 which facilitates opportunities for up to 175 third-level students to spend three months immersed in the Gaeltacht. Under ERASMUS Gaeltachta, a subsidy worth €22 per night towards accommodation costs is provided to enable third-level institutions to offer a semester in the Gaeltacht to their students. Similar to the other aforementioned measures, this subsidy is payable to hosts providing accommodation under the terms of Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge.

In the interest of completeness, it should be noted that, in addition to the aforementioned grant schemes funded by my Department, it is understood that a number of other public and private organisations administer Irish college scholarship schemes. As my Department does not have oversight of these schemes, I am not in a position to provide details of same.

I am satisfied that these measures provide significant, broadly accessible, language-learning opportunities for young people across the country at different ages and stages of education and align with the key principles of social inclusion, while generating substantial down-stream economic benefits for Gaeltacht regions.