Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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1060. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the capital allocations for the Gaeltacht programme area in 2024 and 2025; to provide a list of the projects funded in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39166/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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1061. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to provide an update on expenditure of increased funding of over €1.5 million for the development of Irish language and cultural centres across the whole island announced in Budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39167/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Using both an allocation from the Shared Island Fund and a new capital budget line created by my Department for cross-border co-operation, my Department will be supporting the development of new Irish language and Ulster Scots language and culture projects in 2025 and beyond. The Department is currently in the process of developing proposals for this funding in order to determine if they can be further progressed in 2025.

This work will build on the Government’s support for the Irish language in Northern Ireland as part of the New Decade, New Approach Agreement of 2020 and contribute to both the Programme for Government commitment to enhance the Irish language across the island and the NDP investment objective to protect and develop both the Irish language and Ulster Scots traditions across the island.

My Department also provides support for the development of Irish language centres outside of the Gaeltacht through its Irish Language Support Scheme (Capital). The purpose of this programme is to promote the use of the Irish language outside the Gaeltacht by providing funding to voluntary and community organisations working in the sector. Funding can be provided to assist with the costs associated with building or upgrading Irish language centres and for the purchase of buildings for such use. Capital support is also available for the fit-out of these facilities.

Under this scheme, preliminary works with an estimated cost of €3.2m are currently being undertaken by the OPW, on behalf of my Department, towards the redevelopment of No. 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, as an Irish language hub serving speakers of the language in the capital. The development is identified as a flagship project in Project Ireland 2040.