Media Release
Thursday, 10 April 2025
Minister Calleary welcomes approval of 2025 funding for Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency
- North South Ministerial Council meeting in Armagh chaired by Minister Calleary
- Agreed 2025 funding levels for Foras na Gaeilge will enable the organisation to reverse cuts it announced earlier this year
- Funding also confirmed for Ulster-Scots Agency community programme
- Commitment to review a range of governance and procedural matters within the agencies, including the future treatment of pension costs
- Board members appointed to Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency
The Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, today chaired the twenty-ninth Sectoral meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Language Body. The meeting, held in Armagh, was attended by Gordon Lyons MLA, Minister for Communities, and Aisling Reilly MLA, Junior Minister at the Executive Office, along with representatives of the two NSMC Language Body agencies, Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster Scots Agency.
The meeting of the NSMC Language Body approved the 2025 Business Plans, which enables agreed 2025 funding for both Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency to be provided. The agreed funding levels will allow Foras na Gaeilge to reverse cuts it announced earlier this year, while also supporting the Ulster-Scots Agency community programme. It was also noted that discussions have begun regarding the next planning period for 2026-2028 and that this will involve reviewing a range of governance and procedural matters, including the treatment of pensions costs within the agencies.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister Calleary said:
“Amongst the items we discussed this morning was the funding position for this year for both Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency. My department is now in a position to make an additional once off payment of €630,000 to Foras na Gaeilge for 2025, relating to historical pension costs, and this will allow Foras na Gaeilge to reverse cuts it announced earlier this year.
“I would like to thank Minister Lyons and his Department for their co-operation in this matter, which also sees us providing additional once off funding for the Ulster-Scots Agency in 2025. I also welcome that fact that the meeting today noted future discussions between our departments and the agencies on a range of matters, including governance and pensions treatment for the next funding period.”
The Council meeting today also approved the appointments of new board members to the agencies of the NSMC Language Body, including 10 members nominated by the Irish Government, comprising six members to the board of Foras na Gaeilge and four to the Ulster-Scots Agency.
Speaking about these appointments today, Minister Dara Calleary welcomed their appointment:
“I am very happy with the range of skills and experience that these board members bring to the NSMC Language Body and look forward to them making a constructive contribution to the work of these agencies in the coming years”.
It is expected that the next meeting of the NSMC Language Body will be held in autumn 2025.