Foras na Gaeilge is proud to publish its Strategic Direction 2025-2030 today. The comprehensive document was produced as a result of a public consultation and aims to identify the organisation’s work priorities for the coming years at a high strategic level.

To ensure success, necessary resources are required, including budget and staff, and further awareness of the organisation’s vision and mission is also needed amongst the community.

The Chairperson of Foras na Gaeilge, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin, said;

“Since 2008, our income has fallen by 45% but the demand for our support has been increasing over time and we cannot meet it. This has implications not only for our own work but for the entire Irish language sector, North and South. This issue is our greatest challenge as an organisation and we are determined in the new strategy period that we will work at the highest level with both Governments to agree a long-term sustainable funding plan so that the major objectives of this Strategic Direction can be achieved in line with our vision and our future mission. Foras na Gaeilge has a full Board for the first time in years and the highest priority of that Board will now be to ensure that the human and financial resources are in place to take a major step forward in the development and consolidation of the Irish language in language communities North and South.”

The document sets out the priorities for the period under four major objectives:

1. Ability: Through pre-school, Irish-medium education, English-medium schools, higher education and adult learners, we will support the learner’s journey from start to finish. The establishment of nurseries, the Gaelbhratach project and the Policy for Irish-Medium Education will be among our priorities to help learners. The target of 20% of Irish-speaking civil service recruits in the South will be supported by enabling students to become proficient in Irish in their working lives.

Foras na Gaeilge has invested heavily in lexicography and terminology over the past 25 years. It will be a priority for Foras na Gaeilge to publish further resources such as an Irish-French dictionary as well as establishing a permanent lexicography and terminology unit within the organisation.

2. Use: Foras na Gaeilge will aim to strengthen its Irish Language Network Development Scheme and establish a permanent language planning unit within the organisation. We will support further investment in existing Irish Language Centres and will support development plans for such centres in each language planning area.

Foras na Gaeilge strongly believes that the Irish language belongs to all and should be accessible to everyone, regardless of ethnic background, minority status or disability. Foras na Gaeilge will seek additional investment to serve groups whose work relates to diversity and equality.

3. Status and Attitudes: We will raise awareness about Irish through our Creidim Ionat campaign with support from RTÉ, we will work on campaigns targeting immigrants and Protestant/unionist/Loyalist communities in the North and in relation to employment/innovation opportunities linked to the Irish language. We will highlight international employment and cultural opportunities and the results of our major research project on public attitudes will be published.
4. Organisational Governance: Foras na Gaeilge will review the structure of the organisation that has been in place since our establishment 25 years ago.

Foras na Gaeilge CEO Seán Ó Coinn said:

“We were encouraged by the way organisations and individuals participated in the consultation process for this important publication. We gathered suggestions and opinions from meetings, surveys and submissions and these are now reflected in our vision for the next five years. We have tried to identify here the things that will most benefit the continued development of the Irish language across the island, and we will aim to prioritise them over the next five years. Foras na Gaeilge will rely heavily on partnership with the Irish Language Lead-Organisations with community groups and with the wider Irish language community across the island to achieve these actions.”

Ends

For the editor

More photographs available on request.

About the document

More detailed information on specific resources, targets and implementation deadlines will be provided in the next Corporate Plan (2026-2028), which is currently being developed, and in the annual Business Plans that we agree with the two Sponsoring Departments.

The implementation of the Strategic Direction is subject to the continued availability of sufficient resources for Foras na Gaeilge, a necessity that is recognised in all our corporate documents. Further information on the process to date and a copy of the document are available here.

Queries

Anna Davitt, Communications & Marketing Manager, Foras na Gaeilge

Tel: 00 353 87 293 7686     Email: adavitt@forasnagaeilge.ie