Gaeltacht areas must meet new criteria to hold onto status

Gaeltacht areas must meet new criteria to hold on to status


Anton McNulty

GAELTACHT areas which fail to meet linguistic criteria set down in a new 20-Year strategy for the Irish Language will cease to be classified as a Gaeltacht area.
The ‘20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language’ was published last week and it hopes that more than treble the number of daily Irish language speakers by the year 2030.
An increase in the number of daily Irish speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 is the first of three core objectives detailed in the plan. The second goal is to increase the number of speakers who speak Irish on a daily basis in Gaeltacht areas.
The third aim of the strategy is to increase the number of people that use State services through the Irish language and can access broadcast and print media through the language.
At present, three areas of Mayo are designated as having Gaeltacht status - parts of Erris, Achill and Tourmakeady - and these areas will be subject to linguistic criteria for the Gaeltacht set down in the new Act.
New areas may also be included in the Gaeltacht if they meet the criteria as defined in the new Act but those that do not meet the criteria will cease to have Gaeltacht status.
Another aspect of the plan which will affect Gaeltacht areas in the county will see ÚdarΡs na Gaeltachta restructured as a new Irish language agency. It will be known as ÚdarΡs na Gaeilge and will have responsibility for Irish language matters throughout the State, but will also retain many of its present functions.