Minister for the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary will meet officials from Foras na Gaeilge on Wednesday to discuss budget cuts recently announced by the cross-Border body.
Foras na Gaeilge, which is the main instrument through which Irish Government spending on the Irish language is distributed, announced wide-ranging cuts last month after declaring a €817,945 shortfall in this year’s budget.
Wednesday’s meeting comes amid concerns that DUP opposition will hamper reform of the cross-Border body’s funding model which has remained largely unchanged since 2008.
The current model requires Dublin and Stormont to maintain a fixed 75:25 ratio, with the Irish Government providing three-quarters of the annual budget and the Stormont Executive contributing the remainder.
Unelected Musk holds court in Trump’s Oval Office as he defends efficiency drive
Leopardstown racecourse earmarked for 1,000 social and affordable homes
Romance, relationships and financial abuse: ‘They are terrified to go and spend €50 in Dunnes because they will be quizzed'
Dublin law firm received €15m for advising State transport bodies responsible for roads and rail infrastructure
Conradh na Gaeilge’s Dr Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh said the DUP’s repeated blocking of proposed reforms to the funding model means alternative mechanisms need to be explored.
He was speaking in Dublin where groups directly impacted by the cuts met for a “crisis assembly” to plan a national campaign to address the funding crisis.
[ Irish and NI governments called on to ‘urgently resolve’ Irish-language fundingOpens in new window ]
“The fundamental issue here is that structurally Foras na Gaeilge is broken. The financial mechanism that underpins their funding is not fit for purpose any more,” he said.
“That’s a big statement because Foras na Gaeilge is one of the cross-Border bodies that came out of the Good Friday Agreement. So the question of the bona fides – the viability of a cross-Border Good Friday Agreement body – is significant in any currency,” he said.
Dr Ó Tiarnaigh said the DUP has exercised its joint office veto to block consideration of the reform proposal.
“What we have now learned is that Minister [Caoimhe] Archibald has attempted to place the paper on the Executive agenda five times since Halloween, with the DUP blocking each attempt,” he said.
“It’s a huge problem. I think the Irish Government is going to have a huge headache over this, but I think it can it can be resolved,” he said.
Increased operational costs and costs associated with legacy pension payments have contributed to Foras na Gaeilge’s 2025 budget shortfall.
Schemes including language community development schemes, arts events, drama, summer camps, third-level scholarships, key organisations and Irish language media will be affected.
Speaking at the meeting, Ruairí Ó Donnáin, an Irish language development officer with an Boirche Íochtar, a cultural centre which operates a youth club, a library and parent and toddler groups, in south Co Down, said he is “very concerned” about the impact of the cuts.
“Not only are we providing services for the Irish language community, we’re also one of the main service providers for the community as a whole.
“At the moment things are tight, and things are going to get tighter,” he said.
“It looks as if we will have to cut back on some of the services we provide. We’re the only youth club in our area. We run a completely bilingual club in order to be able to provide services for the whole of the community.”
Caoimhe Ní Shúilleabháin, who works with Cill Dara le Gaeilge, said: “We receive €47,000 each year. Out of that we have to pay a salary, rent [and] organise events ... There is no pension scheme, there is no maternal leave, the conditions are not very attractive.
“We are facing an €800 cut annually. It might not seem like much, but that is the equivalent of two terms for the afterschool club; that is one summer camp.”
“The groups are genuinely concerned about the future,” Dr Ó Tiarnaigh said.
“There’s an agreed position among groups that [it] is one cut too far, and although it may only be €1,000 or €2,000 per group, when you only have pennies, that’s a lot of money.”
“We’re in a position now where a lot of groups are on their last legs.”
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
