Press release
Increased funding package of €2,084,330 for Lárionad na Gaeilge, Ollscoil Mhá Nuad
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
The Government's Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, Jack Chambers, was present at an event on Friday at Maynooth University to announce increased funding for vital Irish language projects run by the University’s Lárionad na Gaeilge for Research, Teaching and Testing. This funding will ensure that the important work of four the Lárionad’s projects can progress and reach a wider target audience.
The Vifax, Certificate in Teaching Irish to Adults, the Irish language programmes in the Center Culturel Irlandais, Paris and especially the Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG) offer learning opportunities to individuals and organisations in Ireland and abroad, in various learning institutions and online. A central part of the Digital Plan for the Irish language - which is to be launched later in the year - is that learners of the Irish language will have access to online learning aids and these projects are supporting that goal.
The TEG certification will play a central role in achieving the government's goal that 20% of the country's Public Servants will be competent in Irish by 2030. The unique partnership between Lárionad na Gaeilge and OneLearning – the training service of the state system – as part of this expansion programme for TEG, paves the way to achieve that goal.
Speaking at the event Minister of State Jack Chambers said:
"I welcome the expanded TEG programme that is being launched here in Lárionad na Gaeilge at Maynooth University. This programme is central to our work to ensure the full implementation of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2021 and will enable us to standardise the language proficiency required for certain roles and services in the Civil Service and in the Public Service as we work towards the ambitious goal of 20% of recruits in public bodies to be competent in Irish by 2030."
Maynooth University Prseident, Professor Eeva Leinonen said:
"As a linguist and as a native of Finland, I understand the importance of state policies and services that support and promote bilingualism and language rights for all members of society. I'm very proud that Maynooth University’s Lárionad na Gaeilge is playing an important role in supporting those national policies, and in providing the structures, pathways and resources to help adult learners re-engage with Irish and to become competent and confident users of the language.”