From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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The Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, Government Chief Whip Jack Chambers T.D., has announced that he has approved a 10% increase in the daily grant payable to Gaeltacht families who provide accommodation for Irish College attendees. This will mean that €11 instead of €10 per night per student will be payable in future under the Irish Learners' Scheme to providers of Irish language college sector accommodation. This increase is estimated at €460,000.
Approximately 700 Gaeltacht households registered with the Department under the scheme will benefit from this increase which takes effect immediately. This is the first increase approved by the Department to the scheme grant in five years.
An increase has also been approved in the daily grant paid under the scheme in respect of attendees of the boarding colleges recognised under it - the first increase for them in ten years, together with an increase in the specific daily grant paid under the ÁRAINN Gaeltachta policies and ERASMUS Gaeltachta which offers post-primary and third level students the opportunity to spend a semester in the Gaeltacht.
The overall stated objective of this policy is to support the Irish language and the Gaeltacht in line with the objectives of the Government's Action Plan 2018-2022 for the Irish Language.
Minister of State Chambers said:
“We are all looking forward to the return of Irish language learners from all over the country to the Gaeltacht this summer. My Department's Irish Language Scheme is of particular importance to both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht economy as it turns 50 this year. At the heart of the story are the Gaeltacht families who provide accommodation for thousands of students year after year. In recognition of this and the increase in costs incurred since 2017, it is timely to increase the grant now paid under the scheme with the colleges about to reopen. The increase that I have announced will help the approximately 700 families throughout the Gaeltacht who provide accommodation and indeed the boarding colleges that are recognised under the scheme. In addition, the increase will help all colleges to keep fees charged as low as possible and help their own efforts to recruit and retain new families.”
Department executives have recently had discussions with the accommodation sector representative and the college umbrella group, CONCOS. The feedback received from that discussion has been taken into account in the preparation of this policy.
The increase follows the recent announcement of the recognition of courses of no less than 3 days as a one-off measure, and the establishment by the Department of five separate stabilisation funds over a two-year period to assist accommodation providers, community halls and colleges in the sector.
The Department will be in contact with families of the scheme about this very soon.
The purpose of Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge (SFG), which is the oldest scheme administered by the Department, is to support the provision of additional language acquisition and enrichment opportunities in the Gaeltacht for post-primary and third level students in Ireland. It is estimated that approximately 1m learners have benefited from the scheme since its inception 50 years ago in 1972.
Since 2017, a daily grant of €10 per student is paid under the Department's Scheme to c.700 eligible families who provide accommodation for over 26,000 learners who attend the Irish language courses recognised throughout the Gaeltacht under the auspices of the system.
As a result of the announced increase, the Department will in future invest approximately €4.8m annually in the interests of the sector.
Subject to the arrangements in place, the colleges themselves pay families the sum of approximately €1.20 for every €1 paid by the Department. This will result in families in the sector earning €14 per learner per week in additional income when the Department's increase and college compensation are taken into account.
Example of the effect of the increase
An overview of the Department's policies to help stabilise the sector since 2021
February 2022: Short Gaeltacht Courses 3 days or longer in length to be recognised as an exception this year to support the reopening of the Irish College System https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/eb1ad-short-gaetlacht-courses-of-at-least-3-days-to-be-recognised-as-an-exception-this-year-to-support-the-reopening-of-irish-colleges/
October 2021: Special Assistance for Summer Colleges announced by Minister Martin and Minister of State Chambers https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/25e3a-special-assistance-for-irish-language-summer-colleges-announced-by-minister-martin-and-minister-of-state-chambers/
July 2021: €240,000 Stabilisation Fund for Gaeltacht community halls announced by Minister of State Chambers https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/2073f-240000-stabilisation-fund-for-gaeltacht-community-halls-announced-by-minister-of-state-chambers/
July 2021: Minister Martin and Minister of State Chambers announce a Stabilisation Fund for Summer College Accommodation Providers https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/753da-minister-martin-and-minister-of-state-chambers-announce-a-stabilisation-fund-for-summer-college-accommodation-providers/
Two separate funds were also established in 2020; details available on the Department's website.