An Ghaeltacht
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-11
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Charlie McConalogue (FF), Donegal

I have outlined the steps we are taking from a departmental point of view. It has been wonderful in recent years to see the renaissance of the Irish language and the particular focus on the spoken language. It is lamentable how so many of us have come through our education system and have such a poor grasp of speaking Irish. Unfortunately, I include myself in that, even though I come from a county - although I live a good distance from a Gaeltacht area - that has such a proud tradition and has kept the Irish language alive.
It is important we recognise how the Gaeltacht has progressed in the 100 years since its establishment and, in particular, take learnings from it. As we go forward, we have to try to ensure the Irish language is built upon. The momentum behind the language in recent times has been energising and from a Government point of view, it is important that we support that. The Deputy asked how our Department in particular is recognising that 100 years on from the establishment of the Gaeltacht. It is important we play a role in that, as we do across government. Most important is supporting growth again so that more and more people across the country can speak our native language fluently.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-11