Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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584. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his Department will consider undertaking a body of research that will outline the socioeconomic impact and value of the Irish language to Gaeltacht Communities (details supplied) with a view to increasing awareness economic value of the Irish language to these communities. [29368/26]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, Údarás na Gaeltachta, is the state agency with responsibility for the linguistic, cultural, social, physical and economic development of the Gaeltacht.

An allocation of €41.157m has been made available to Údarás na Gaeltachta for 2026, This represents an increase of €2.5 million on the organisation’s 2025 allocation.

In terms of the return on state investment, there is clear evidence year on year from the data provided in the annual reports published by Údarás na Gaeltachta, and reported on widely in both national and local media, that Gaeltacht areas are benefitting substantially from the various schemes, employment initiatives and community development programmes administered by the agency.

The following highlights were published in the agency's annual report for 2025;

- 681 new jobs created in Gaeltacht areas in 2025

- 9,716 people employed in Údarás client companies

- Sales exceeding €1 billion for the second consecutive year

- €697 million generated in exports and €570m in direct expenditure in the Irish Economy

- A record €38.1 million secured under the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF)

- Investment of over €18 million approved for Gaeltacht capital projects

- 28 Language Plans supported with €3.9 million in funding

- 585 full-time equivalent jobs in social enterprises

- 436 people employed across 29 gteic digital hubs

- €1.4 million invested in training and skills development.

That said, it should be noted that the body also regularly commissions research and studies on topics that are relevant to its work. In this context, Údarás na Gaeltachta announced the findings of new research into the social economy of the Gaeltacht, undertaken in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast as part of the EmpowerUs Transition Coastal Lab (TCL) in December 2025. This research revealed that the social enterprise sector in the Gaeltacht generates a Gross Value Added of approximately €21.53 million, supports 585 Full-Time Equivalent jobs and contributes €15.96 million in salaries per annum. The sector holds significant assets, with a fixed asset base of €27.80 million and tangible assets of €25.50 million. The study focused on developing the social economy as a means of resisting external blue growth pressures and retaining investment, jobs, and supply chains within local Gaeltacht communities. Údarás na Gaeltachta is implementing key recommendations from the research, including:

• Developing a learning portal with resources specific to coastal Gaeltacht economies
• Supporting next-generation entrepreneurs through apprenticeships and educational partnerships
• Advocating for regulatory innovation, including community asset transfer legislation
• Investing in applied research on emerging opportunities in technology, climate change, and growth sectors
• Building a stronger network of social enterprises across the wider Gaeltacht.