Locations across County Galway figure prominently in the Government’s latest plan for developing a truly bilingual public service.
Ten of the 26 national locations earmarked for area-specific Irish language plans are located in Galway.
These are Cois Fharraige, Ceantar na nOileán and an Cheathrú Rua in south Connemara, the Conamara Láir area, Joyce Country and Tourmakeady, the Barna and Knocknacarra district, Galway city’s west bank, the Aran Islands, and Eachréidh na Gaillimhe, comprising Annadown, Carnmore, Claregalway and adjoining parishes.
Clifden and Galway city as a whole are also included as Gaeltacht Service Towns (GST ) as they are next to Gaeltacht language planning areas. Loughrea qualifies as an Irish Language Network location where local organisations have achieved a basic critical mass for community and State support for the Irish language.
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, published the Action Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2026-2028 earlier this week.
It is the latest step in measures designed to build cross-governmental capacities in the Irish language by 2030, as set out in the 2003 and 2021 Official Languages Acts.
“At a time when the level of good-will and positivity towards the language has never been higher, this ambitious plan sets out the clear and measurable steps to be taken across government in the years ahead towards achieving a truly bilingual public service, and indeed bilingual society, in line with Programme for Government commitments,” said Calleary.
The plan places particular emphasis on measures to ensure 20 per cent of recruits to public sector bodies will be competent in Irish by the end of 2030. It is hoped this will enable the normalisation of the Irish language as an integral part of the public service, and also empower speakers of the language to use it when accessing services.
