Short Irish language courses have been given the go-ahead this year to drive more income to Gaeltacht communities.
The Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, Government Chief Whip Jack Chambers T.D., has today announced that his Department will recognise courses of at least 3 days as an exceptional measure to assist the recovery of the Irish language college sector.
The courses will be an opportunity for students who missed out on Gaeltacht experiences during the pandemic.
The new agreement means that the Department will be able to pay the Irish Language Learners Scheme grants to eligible Gaeltacht families who provide accommodation for students attending such courses.
Minister of State Chambers said: “While the usual three-week courses will remain an integral part of the system, the short courses of the type that will be approved in this particular case will provide an additional opportunity to attend an Irish language course in the Gaeltacht for post-primary students who missed out on that opportunity in the last two years due to COVID-19. This policy will also help with the recovery of the sector that has been closed for the past two years.
“It was a significant blow to all that colleges have not been able to function for some time due to the pandemic. As a result of this measure and what the Department has done over the past two years to help the sector we are all looking forward to the gradual reopening of the colleges between now and the summer and seeing young people from all over the country returning to the summer colleges.”
