Press Release: Minister Calleary announces funding of over €5.3m for Gaeltacht Initiatives
Preasráiteas
Déardaoin, 18 Meitheamh 2026
Maoiniú ar fiú níos mó ná €5.3m é fógartha ag an Aire Calleary do Thionscnaimh Ghaeltachta
- Tá €4m ceadaithe chun Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga a riar ó 2026 go 2028
- €1.3m ceadaithe chun Scéim na gCampaí Samhraidh a chur ar fáil ó 2026 go 2028
Bhí an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary T.D. sna Forbacha inniu i nGaeltacht na Gaillimhe agus é ag seoladh go hoifigiúil Straitéis nua Mhuintearais do 2026-2029. Thóg sé an deis agus é ann maoiniú suntasach a fhógairt do chúpla scéim fadbhunaithe de chuid na Roinne.
Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga
Tá an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta ag soláthar ciste airgid le breis agus scór bliain anois chun Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga a riar mar thacaíocht bhreise don phróiseas pleanála teanga. Tá sé ar fáil laistigh den Ghaeltacht do gach scoil a ghlacann páirt sa Scéim Aitheantais Scoileanna Gaeltachta (SASG) de chuid na Roinne Oideachais agus Óige. Lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht, tá an scéim ar fáil do Ghaelscoileanna agus do Ghaelcholáistí lonnaithe sna limistéir atá aitheanta mar Bhaile Seirbhíse Gaeltachta nó mar Líonra Gaeilge. Tá deontais suas le €4.02m ina n-iomlán ceadaithe don trí eagras riartha thar thréimhse dhá bhliain chun an scéim a riar.
Is iad na heagrais, Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne agus Muintearas Teo. atá ag riar na scéime thar ceann na Roinne laistigh den Ghaeltacht agus is é Glór na nGael atá ag riar na scéime lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht. Tá 161 scoil san iomlán i gceist – 104 faoi scáth Mhuintearas, 28 scoil faoi scáth Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne agus 29 scoil faoi Ghlór na nGael. Cuireann c.135 cúntóir teanga suas le 1,563 uair theagaisc ar fáil in aghaidh na seachtaine sna scoileanna sin.
Scéim na gCampaí Samhraidh
Is scéim fadbhunaithe í seo a chuirtear ar fáil chun tacú le coistí pobail chun campaí trí Ghaeilge a reáchtáil do dhaoine óga laistigh den Ghaeltacht. Freastalaíonn an scéim seo ar dhaoine óga sna Gaeltachtaí ar fad agus cuirtear timpeall is 165 campa ar fáil gach samhradh do thimpeall is 6500 duine óg. Is é Muintearas Teo a riarann an scéim agus tá ardú deontais ceadaithe leis an fhógra seo don chéad uair le blianta fada. Tá deontas 3 bliana ar fiú suas le €1,308,039 é nó €436,013 sa bhliain ceadaithe anois agus mar chuid den ardú deontais sin, tá ardú €10 ceadaithe ar an ráta fóirdheontais a íocfar le coistí do gach rannpháirtí ó €45 go €55 an rannpháirtí do champa seachtaine.
Ag fógairt na ndeontas inniu, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Is údar sásaimh dom go bhfuil mé ábalta na cistí suntasacha seo a fhógairt do scéimeanna tábhachtacha agus fadbhunaithe mo Roinne. Is éiceachóras teanga atá de dhíth orainn chun an Ghaeilge a thabhairt slán don chéad ghlúin eile agus is bunchlocha tábhachtacha iad Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga agus Scéim na gCampaí Samhraidh in iarrachtaí mo Roinne chun an t-eiceachóras sin a fhorbairt. Díríonn siad beirt ar Ghaeilgeoirí óga, agus is tráthúil sin agus muid anseo sna Forbacha chun straitéis nua de chuid Muintearas a sheoladh do 2026-2029.
“Níl amhras ar bith ach go bhfuil páirt lárnach ag Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga san obair chun an Ghaeilge a neartú mar theanga phobail agus teaghlaigh taobh istigh agus taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht. Cuideoidh an deontas seo le Muintearas, le hOidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne agus le Glór na nGael an scéim seo a reáchtáil ar son na Roinne.
“Tá Scéim na gCampaí Samhraidh á maoiniú ag mo Roinn le tréimhse fada anois agus is é príomhchuspóir na scéime sin deis shóisialta agus oideachasúil a chruthú do dhaoine óga na Gaeltachta trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tagann sin go sonrach le cuspóirí an phróisis pleanála teanga agus tá sé iontach tábhachtach go mbíonn na deiseanna seo inrochtana agus inacmhainne do theaghlaigh atá ag tógáil clainne le Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht.
“Molaim na Cúntóirí Teanga, na scoileanna, na coistí pobail agus molaim ach go háirithe na daoine óga a bhainfidh tairbhe as na deontais seo.”
Media Release
Thursday, 18 June 2026
Minister Calleary announces funding of over €5.3m for Gaeltacht Initiatives
- €4m approved to administer the Language Assistants’ Scheme from 2026 to 2028
- €1.3m approved to deliver Summer Camps Scheme from 2026 to 2028
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, was in Na Forbacha in the Galway Gaeltacht today to officially launch the new Muintearas Strategy for 2026-2029. He also took the opportunity to announce significant funding for two long-standing Departmental schemes.
Language Assistants’ Scheme
The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht has been providing funding to run the Language Assistants’ Scheme for over twenty years now, as an additional support for the language planning process. It is available within the Gaeltacht to every school which participates in the Department of Education and Youth’s Gaeltacht Schools Recognition Scheme (GSRS). Outside of the Gaeltacht, the scheme is available to Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí located in the areas recognised as Gaeltacht Service Towns or Irish Language Networks. Grants totalling up to €4.02m have now been approved for the three managing organisations over a two-year period to run the scheme.
Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne and Muintearas Teo. are responsible for administering the scheme on the Department’s behalf within the Gaeltacht and Glór na nGael are managing the scheme outside of the Gaeltacht. 161 schools in total benefit from the scheme – 104 under the auspices of Muintearas, 28 schools under Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne and 29 schools under Glór na nGael. Approximately 135 language assistants provide up to 1,563 hours of tuition per week in those schools.
Summer Camps Scheme
This long-standing scheme supports community committees to run Irish-language camps for young people within the Gaeltacht. This scheme serves young people in all Gaeltacht areas, and around 165 camps are provided every summer to around 6,500 young people. Muintearas Teo administer the scheme and this announcement includes a grant increase for the first time in many years. A 3-year grant worth up to €1,308,039 or €436,013 per year has now been approved, and as part of that improved grant , an increase of €10 has been approved for the subsidy rate paid to committees for every participant, from €45 to €55 per participant for a weeklong camp.
Announcing the grants today, Minister Calleary said:
“I am pleased to be able to announce this substantial funding for such important and long-running schemes in my Department. It takes a language ecosystem to ensure the safe transmission of the Irish language to the next generation and the Language Assistants’ Scheme and the Summer Camps Scheme are important foundations in my Department’s efforts to develop that ecosystem. They both focus on young Gaeilgeoirí, which is apt as we are here in Na Forbacha to launch the new Muintearas strategy for 2026-2029.
“The Language Assistants’ Scheme undoubtedly plays a central role in the work to strengthen Irish as a community and family language both inside and outside of the Gaeltacht. This grant will help Muintearas, Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne and Glór na nGael to administer this scheme on the Department’s behalf.
“My Department has long been funding the Summer Camps Scheme, the main goal of which is to create social and educational opportunity for the youth of the Gaeltacht through Irish. That ties in specifically with the objectives of the language planning process, and it is very important that these opportunities be accessible and affordable to families raising children with Irish in the Gaeltacht.
“I commend the Language Assistants, the schools, the community committees and especially the young people who will benefit from these grants.”