The Linguistic Study of the Use of Irish in the Gaeltacht, published in 2002, focused attention on the fragile state of Irish as the community language of the Gaeltacht and of the need for emergency measures to protect and strengthen it.
These issues were highlighted in the Údarás na Gaeltachta end of year review. The draft 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language is the Government’s response to that ‘call to action’ and an tÚdarás has welcomed the Government’s approach as outlined in the draft strategy.
Important core principles are recognised in the strategy including the need for a strong Gaeltacht agency with a wide range of powers and functions to address the language and enterprise development challenges of the Gaeltacht. An ambiguous target of 250,000 daily Irish speakers has been set and will hopefully be achieved by the end of the 20 year strategy, the end of year report outlined.
As a result, a wide range of diploma, higher diploma, degree, and postgraduate courses are now being provided in centres throughout the Gaeltacht primarily by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge. There are also courses run by the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in conjunction with the language specialist company Europus Teo.
These third-level courses are of the utmost importance in regard to third-level education, the Irish language and employment, Údarás has explained in its review.
A new era in the history of the Irish language will commence with the implementation of the 20 Year Language Strategy.
