Press Release 

8 July 2026

Foras na Gaeilge welcomed the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD during a visit to Foras na Gaeilge's Headquarters on Amiens Street today. The Minister was present to discuss the progress with the Chairperson and the Senior Management team since announcing a substantial increase in funding for the North South implementation body in early 2026.

During his visit he viewed a selection of the latest publications produced by Foras na Gaeilge's publishing house, An Gúm, and a mural on the roof of the headquarters, commissioned by Foras na Gaeilge, and designed by artist Líadan Ní Chearbhaill, to celebrate Pride 2026.

Foras na Gaeilge Chair, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin, and the Senior Management team presented budget requirements to the Minister which outlined Foras na Gaeilge’s funding priorities for 2027. The Chair discussed the importance of a multi-annual baseline funding framework between now and 2030 with the Minister in order to allow Foras na Gaeilge to meet the significant demand from the public, and to support the challenges in the education and youth sector. There is public demand for another round of Foras na Gaeilge's main community scheme, Scéim Forbartha Líonraí Gaeilge, and increased funding for the various schemes that provide the public with opportunities to use Irish.

Among the topics discussed were; provision of Irish-medium childcare outside the Gaeltacht, particularly in Dublin, where the most Irish speakers are located, the need for a government coordinated approach to teaching Irish to adults, and the investment required to enable the Irish language sector to cope with the transformation in the various digital areas were raised with the Minister.

The cross-border body is seeking an additional €2.5m in 2027 in order to address the various needs identified.

Minister Calleary spoke to staff about his priorities for the remainder of 2026 and 2027, building on the most recent legislative developments in relation to the provision of Irish language services in the state, and the importance of the Presidency of the European Union for the Irish language and for the full integration of the status of Irish as a working language in the European Parliament.

Chairperson of Foras na Gaeilge, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin said:

"Foras na Gaeilge was given the opportunity to provide the Minister with an insight today regarding the huge opportunities that now exist for the Irish language, provided that the resources are available to cater for them. It is very clear from the recent research report published by Foras na Gaeilge that communities across the island would like young people to speak Irish – that they are seeking opportunities to use Irish and now is the time to build on what has been done based on the results of the research. Following this positive meeting with the Minister, I am confident that the Minister understands the demand for using Irish in the community and the policy ambition for the Irish language and that he is happy to bring this to the attention of his Cabinet colleagues"

Minister Calleary launched two new funding schemes announced by Foras na Gaeilge, Bígí Linn and Glacaigí Páirt, during the visit:

Bígí Linn will facilitate opportunities for communities that are under-represented in the Irish-speaking community to use Irish; minority and ethnic minority communities who are often not engaged in events aimed at Irish-speaking communities. A fund of €50,000 is available for this scheme.

Glacaigí Páirt will focus on providing support for groups to take part in routine activities or recreation through Irish on a regular basis in social, informal and enjoyable settings. A fund of €90,000 is available for this scheme.

Foras na Gaeilge, CEO, Seán Ó Coinn said:

"The increase of over €2 million approved by the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, for Foras na Gaeilge earlier this year has enabled us to make further investment in the promotion of the Irish language at community level. We look forward to seeing the impact of this investment on the daily and social use of the Irish language by community groups through the new schemes launched by the Minister today"

The new schemes are now live on Foras na Gaeilge's website here

Ends

Photographs

Photographs from Maxwells have been provided. Additional photos can be provided by request.

More information

Anna Davitt, Programme Manager: Communications, Marketing & Awareness, Foras na Gaeilge

Phone: 00 353 87 293 7686

Ríomhphost: adavitt@forasnagaeilge.ie