From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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The Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Sport, Culture and Gaeltacht, Catherine Martin TD, has welcomed the appointment today of Government Chief Whip, Dara Calleary TD, as Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, the Irish language and Sport.
Minister Martin said that the Irish language and the Gaeltacht was of huge importance to the Government and to her personally, and that she is looking forward immensely to working closely with Minister of State Calleary to progress the broad remit of the Department. She also intends to visit a Gaeltacht area with the Minister of State in the early stages of their appointment. “The newly appointed Minister of State has displayed throughout his years as Teachta Dála that he has a particular interest in the language and in the development of the Gaeltacht, and that he has a great understanding of the challenges facing Gaeltacht communities and the Irish language community on the island in general”, said Minister Martin.
She added, “and as the Minister of State is also Government Chief Whip, I believe this is a great appointment that will ensure special status for the Gaeltacht and the language around the Cabinet table and which will expedite the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish language 2010-2030 in the community and across the State sector”.
Speaking following his appointment, Minister Calleary said:
“I am looking forward to taking on this role. The Government acknowledges the importance of the Irish language as the first language of the State, as a living language, and as a vital component of the heritage of this island. We are determined to increase not just the visibility of our native language but also it’s daily use within the community. I feel passionately about the protection and preservation of Gaeltacht areas to ensure they remain at the heart of a living language.”
In relation to sport, the Minister of State said, “I look forward to doing what I can to ensure sporting events return safely for all. During the pandemic, it was clear that running, cycling and walking became increasingly popular as people wanted to mind their physical and mental health. We will build on this during my term in office to improve public health and wellbeing. We will also ensure our High Performance Athletes are assisted as much as possible to achieve their goals and inspire our nation.”
ENDS