Preaseisiúint: Maoiniú €471,500 ceadaithe ag an Aire Calleary le haghaidh theagasc na Gaeilge in ollscoileanna i Meiriceá faoi scáth Choimisiún Fulbright
Press Release
Thursday, 9 July 2026
Minister Calleary approves funding of €471,500 for the Fulbright Commission for Irish language teaching in American universities
- €471,500 approved for the Fulbright Commission for 2026 to continue the Commission’s Irish language programme in America.
- Every year, hundreds of university students as a result of this funding.
- The Department has been funding the Fulbright Irish language teaching programme since 2006.
- Opportunity for Irish language teachers from Ireland to work in American universities.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has announced €471,500 for the Fulbright Commission for the teaching of the Irish language in American universities in the academic year 2025-2026. Vital work for the Irish language is underway in the United States thanks to the Fulbright programme, which has been funded by the Department since 2006. Every year, hundreds of university students in America are given the opportunity to learn Irish and participate in Irish language events as a result of this funding. Irish language teachers (FLTAs) travel to America to teach Irish and participate in the Irish language communities on the various university campuses. Some American students also have the opportunity to visit the Gaeltacht.
The FLTA programme provides invaluable professional experience for Irish language teachers. It enables them to refine their teaching methodologies and return to Ireland with enhanced skills. This strengthens the educational infrastructure in the Gaeltacht, as these teachers bring a new approach to teaching the language back to their own community. Through their work in American universities, FLTAs create lasting relationships with students, the institution in which they are based and the wider academic community. This helps to create a network for the Irish language worldwide, creating opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration that will benefit the Gaeltacht and Ireland as a whole.
Announcing the funding today, Minister Calleary said:
“The work of the Fulbright Commission in fostering educational and cultural exchange between Ireland and the United States is invaluable. Under this scheme, Irish Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) are given opportunities to teach Irish at universities across the United States, significantly raising the international profile of the language. This is in line with the Department’s mission to promote the use of the Irish language, both at home and abroad. By nurturing a new generation of Irish language learners, FLTAs contribute to the vitality and growth of the language on a global scale.”
Welcoming the funding announcement, Fulbright Ireland Director, Dr Dara FitzGerald, said:
“I am extremely proud that the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht has approved funding of €471,500 to enable us to continue our Irish Language Teaching Programme in the United States in 2026. This funding will not only support students in America and Irish language teachers, it will also ensure that the Irish language thrives in academic institutions across the US. By establishing a strong foundation for the teaching of Irish in American universities, we are preserving and promoting our linguistic heritage for future generations.”
The Fulbright Commission has provided a full report on the 2024/25 academic year, outlining its activities for that year. The report states the following:
- 8 Fulbright FLTAs were teaching courses and attending courses at 7 institutions in America.
- 24 students attended the Gaeltacht scholarships in Ireland.
- 913 students attended Irish Language Courses at 7 institutions in the United States
- 436 students took exams.
- 19,804 hours of Irish were taught at 7 institutions in the United States.
Preaseisiúint
Déardaoin, 9 Iúil 2026
Maoiniú €471,500 ceadaithe ag an Aire Calleary le haghaidh theagasc na Gaeilge in ollscoileanna i Meiriceá faoi scáth Choimisiún Fulbright
- Tá €471,500 á cheadú do Choimisiún Fulbright don bhliain 2026 chun leanúint ar aghaidh le clár Gaeilge an Choimisiúin i Meiriceá.
- Gach uile bhliain, tugtar deis do na céadta mac léinn ollscoile i Meiriceá an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim agus páirt a ghlacadh in imeachtaí Gaeilge de bharr an mhaoinithe seo.
- Tá clár teagaisc Gaeilge Fulbright á mhaoiniú ag an Roinn ó 2006 i leith.
- Deis ag Teagascóirí Gaeilge as Éirinn oibriú in ollscoileanna i Meiriceá.
Tá fógartha ag an Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, go bhfuil €471,500 á chur ar fáil do Choimisiún Fulbright chun an Ghaeilge a mhúineadh in ollscoileanna i Meiriceá sa bhliain acadúil 2025-2026. Tá obair fhíorthábhachtach ar son na Gaeilge ar siúl i Meiriceá a bhuí le clár Fulbright atá á mhaoiniú ag an Roinn ó 2006 i leith. Gach uile bhliain, tugtar deis do na céadta mac léinn ollscoile i Meiriceá an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim agus páirt a ghlacadh in imeachtaí Gaeilge de bharr an mhaoinithe seo. Taistealaíonn teagascóirí Gaeilge (FLTAnna) go Meiriceá leis an nGaeilge a mhúineadh agus le páirt a ghlacadh sna pobail Ghaeilge ar na campais éagsúla. Bíonn deis ag roinnt mic léinn Meiriceánacha cuairt a thabhairt ar an nGaeltacht freisin.
Tugann an clár FLTA taithí ghairmiúil thar a bheith luachmhar do mhúinteoirí Gaeilge. Cuireann sé ar a gcumas a modheolaíochtaí teagaisc a bheachtú agus filleadh ar Éirinn le scileanna feabhsaithe. Neartaíonn sé seo an bonneagar oideachais sa Ghaeltacht, mar go dtugann na múinteoirí seo cur chuige nua i leith theagasc na teanga ar ais chuig a bpobal féin. Trína gcuid oibre in ollscoileanna i Meiriceá, cruthaíonn na FLTAnna caidrimh bhuana le mic léinn, leis an institiúid ina bhfuil siad lonnaithe agus le pobal acadúil níos leithne. Cuidíonn sé seo le gréasán a chruthú don Ghaeilge ar fud an domhain, ag cruthú deiseanna le haghaidh comhoibriú traschultúrtha a rachaidh chun tairbhe don Ghaeltacht agus d’Éirinn trí chéile.
Agus an maoiniú á fhógairt aige inniu, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Tá an obair atá ar bun ag Coimisiún Fulbright chun malartú oideachais agus cultúrtha a chothú idir Éire agus na Stáit Aontaithe thar a bheith luachmhar. Faoin scéim seo, tugtar deiseanna do Theagascóirí Gaeilge (FLTAnna) an Ghaeilge a mhúineadh in ollscoileanna ar fud na Stát Aontaithe, rud a ardaíonn próifíl idirnáisiúnta na teanga go suntasach. Tá sé seo ag teacht le misean na Roinne i dtaobh úsáid na Gaeilge a chur chun cinn, sa bhaile agus thar lear. Trí ghlúin nua d’fhoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge a chothú, cuireann na FLTAnna le beocht agus fás na teanga ar scála domhanda.”
Agus é ag cur fáilte roimh an bhfógra maoinithe, dúirt Stiúrthóir Fulbright Ireland, an Dr Dara FitzGerald:
“Tá mé thar a bheith bródúil go bhfuil maoiniú €471,500 ceadaithe ag an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta dúinn ionas gur féidir linn leanúint dár gClár Teagaisc Gaeilge sna Stáit Aontaithe in 2026. Ní hamháin go dtacóidh an maoiniú seo le mic léinn i Meiriceá agus le teagascóirí as Éirinn, cinnteoidh sé freisin go mbeidh rath ar an nGaeilge in institiúidí acadúla ar fud Mheiriceá. Trí bhonn láidir a chur faoi theagasc na Gaeilge in ollscoileanna i Meiriceá táimid ag caomhnú agus ag cur chun cinn ár n-oidhreachta teanga do na glúnta atá le teacht.”
Tá tuarascáil iomlán ar an mbliain acadúil 2024/25 curtha ar fáil ag Coimisiún Fulbright agus cur síos sa tuarascáil sin ar ghníomhaíochtaí na bliana úd. Léirítear an méíd seo a leanas sa tuarascáil sin:
- Bhí 8 FLTA Fulbright ag teagasc cúrsaí agus ag freastal ar chúrsaí i 7 n-institiúid i Meiriceá.
- D’fhreastail 24 mac léinn ar na scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta in Éirinn..
- D’fhreastail 913 scoláire ar Chúrsaí Gaeilge in 7 n-institiúid de chuid na Stát Aontaithe
- Rinne 436 scoláire scrúduithe.
- Bhí 19,804 uair an chloig de Ghaeilge á múineadh in 7 n-institiúid de chuid na Stát Aontaithe.