Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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127. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the action he is taking to support the teaching of Irish in universities outside the island of Ireland. [37915/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The teaching of Irish abroad has been a very important link for the Irish diaspora and those with Irish heritage to Ireland and Irish culture.

In 2006, a dedicated fund was established to support the development of Irish language courses in third-level institutions overseas. The objectives of the fund are to promote the Irish language and Irish culture overseas and to provide a platform from which the language can be showcased internationally. This increases awareness of Irish language and culture outside of Ireland and leads to links between Ireland and the countries in which these institutions are located, resulting in positive long-term impacts on the language.

It also provides an excellent opportunity to present the Irish language to the academic community worldwide and gives the Irish language equal status to other languages being taught abroad, while also providing Irish speaking educators with an opportunity to teach at these universities. In addition, many students who study Irish in their own countries continue their studies here in Ireland.

Currently, over forty third-level institutions in Europe and in North America are actively providing Irish language and Celtic Studies programmes within their own institutions. These courses are administered by my Department in conjunction with the Fulbright Commission, the Ireland Canada University Foundation (ICUF) and the institutions themselves.

Total annual funding for this scheme amounts to €1,252,727 with the breakdown as follows:

- €471,500 awarded to the Fulbright Commission;

- €286,921 awarded to ICUF;

- €494,306 awarded to the remaining universities in the scheme (UK and continental Europe).