Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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364. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress on Gaeltacht language planning area implementation in the Dublin region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66506/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, language plans are being implemented in three Irish Language Networks within the state, one of which is in Clondalkin, Co. Dublin.

Irish Language Network are areas which have a basic critical mass of community and state support for the Irish language. Foras na Gaeilge is responsible under the Act for supporting organisations in the preparation and implementation of language plans in these statutory Irish Language Networks.

Muintir Chrónáin is the lead organisation which prepared the Clondalkin language plan which was approved in 2020. Annual funding of €96,000 is being made available to this Irish Language Network to allow for the implementation of its plan and to employ a full time Irish Language Officer.

Earlier this year, my Department announced funding of €2,260,281 over four years (2025-2028) for Gaeilge365. This project is being co-funded by the four Dublin local authorities. The aim of this initiative is to develop best practice through local authority services which create enhanced opportunities for the public to speak Irish.

Gaeilge365 is the first innovation unit to operate through the medium of Irish in the public service. Originating from Dublin City Council’s Creative Community Strategy, which encourages creative initiatives between different parts of the Council, early support for the Gaeilge365 project was funded by the Éire Ildánach / Creative Ireland Programme.

Gaeilge365’s innovative approach with staff from across the four Dublin local authorities showcases Irish language creativity and benefitted greatly from this early support. The fundamental aim of this pilot project was to put an innovative approach in place to create more opportunities for the public to speak Irish through the services of local authorities in Dublin. Between now and 2028, Gaeilge365 will work towards four major objectives:

• Development of over 40 innovative language-based projects per year – opportunities to speak Irish to be created through Council services pioneered by networks of language innovators.
• Mainstreaming over 10 of the innovative projects per year in the Councils' work streams and scaling in excess of 8 projects per year to enhance opportunities to speak Irish in Dublin.
• Preparing an ambitious Language Plan for Dublin by developing ecosystems, knowledge bases and specialist skills.
• Developing a high efficiency model for strengthening the Irish language – a model that other local authorities can follow. This will be developed through research, consultation and the widespread dissemination of best practice.