OVER 50 Irish language and Gaeltacht organisations from across the country gathered in Belfast on Wednesday to discuss and agree the next steps in the north-south funding RAIC campaign.
Despite recent progress in reversing most of the January 2025 funding cuts to Foras na Gaeilge, Irish language groups believes that this is just a short-term solution and that there is an urgent need to reform the north-south funding structure of Foras na Gaeilge in order to ensure fair, long-term funding for the Irish language.
During the Cultúrlann event, a guest panel spoke on some of the biggest issues facing the Irish language community today:
Ruairí Ó Donnáin, Development Officer with Conradh na Gaeilge Boirche Íochtar, discussed the goals and progress of the RAIC campaign and the urgency for a long-term solution to the north-south funding crisis.
Éibhín Ní Shlattara, Language Planning Officer with Tobar Dhuibhne, addressed the huge difficulties in Gaeltacht areas, especially around housing and community sustainability.
Louisa Ní Éideáin, from the Gaelcholáiste 2 4 6 8 campaign, spoke about the challenges facing Irish-medium education.
Eoghan Ó Garmaile, Irish language activist with Glór na Móna and An Dream Dearg, spoke on language rights, and the Irish Language strategy in the north.
Speaking afterwards Dr Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh from Conradh na Gaeilge, said the national Irish language crisis assembly voted unanimously in favour of a national demonstration in Dublin in the coming months, the first of it’s kind to take place in the capital since 2014.
"We heard from community campaigners from across Ireland calling for increased protections and support from both Governments, north and south, many who have become disillusioned with the lack of urgency and the lack of action in tackling critical issues regarding the Irish language and the Gaeltacht," he said.
“We need immediate action on a cross-border level to ensure a new funding arrangement can be agreed north-south following devastating cuts earlier this year, which were only alleviated by a recent once-off funding package by the Irish Government.
"At the same time, a longstanding crisis is denying Gaeltacht communities any future in their local areas due to an existential housing shortage in those areas. And both north and south we have huge concerns at the protections and strategic support being afforded to Irish medium education, as we begin a third Judicial Review into the failure to implement an Irish language strategy in the north.”
