Niamh Smyth
Cavan-Monaghan · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I thank Senator Higgins for speaking to this amendment and Senator Stephenson for putting it forward. I fully agree on the importance of co-operation and co-ordination between competent authorities in the implementation and enforcement of the AI Act.”
“63 would reduce the current period of 14 working days to a period of no more than seven days. The purpose of section 49 is to balance regulatory intervention with fair procedures.”
“I am going to take time after this debate to look at the Instagram account the Deputy raised today to see for myself. I do not disbelieve the Deputy. It upsets me so much to see that is allowed. Where is the monitoring of it?”
“These are: prohibited practices under Article 5; serious incidents reported under Article 73; high-risk AI systems referred to in annexe III in accordance with Article 49(5); and any other AI-related incidents or notifications required to be reported under the regulation.”
“The Government will continue to benefit from the expertise of the office in the deployment and implementation of AI-related policy and regulation.”
“I know that when you go to public meetings like those in question, there are tough stories from parents and you may feel a little inadequate sometimes in being able to deal with these things as quickly as possible. I am glad the Deputies used their time here today to make the presentation and to campaign for the parents.”
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“Addressing that gap by giving employees the choice to remain in work until the State pension age is a core objective of the Bill. Deputies also raised the issue of abolishing contractual retirement ages in their entirety. This would substantially exceed the objective of this Bill and would potentially create a significant difficulty for employers in managing their workforce. It would make succession planning and providing career opportunities for other employees much more difficult. That said, I am strongly in favour of supporting workers who want to extend their working lives. Rather than them abolishing contractual retirement ages, I encourage employers and employees alike to have regard to the code of practice on longer working of the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC.”
“These discussions have helped to ensure that the balance between worker and employer perspectives have been rigorously considered. The constructive engagement of Deputies was very much appreciated. During discussions on the Bill in the Dáil Deputies broadly welcomed the measures that allow employees to remain in work until the State pension age. Issues which arose in the course of the debates included giving full access to the State pension at 65. This falls outside the scope of this Bill and is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection. This legislation deals exclusively with contractual retirement ages. I recognise the challenges posed by the income gap faced by employees who are required to retire before they can access the State pension.”
“Its purpose is to allow, but not compel, employees to remain in work until they reach pensionable age, which is 66, where they work under a contract that provides for a lower retirement age. The Bill creates a new statutory structure for employees to notify their employer of their intention to remain in employment until a later age, up to 66, where their contractual retirement age is lower. Throughout the discussions in the Dáil, there has been keen engagement and a shared determination to strengthen protections for individuals nearing retirement. There was strong cross-party consensus on the core principles of the Bill in relation to enhancing the rights of older workers and the choices available for those nearing their contractual retirement age.”
“I apologise for being late but a vote in the Dáil delayed me. I thank Members for their patience. I am pleased to have the opportunity to present the Bill for the consideration of the House following its recent successful passage through the Dáil. I will begin by providing some background to the Bill and put it in context. This Bill gives effect to a key Government commitment arising from the Pensions Commission's recommendations and implementation plan. While broader reforms to the State pension system are being led out by my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, this Bill addresses a specific gap in employment rights, namely the ability of workers to remain in employment until they reach the State pension age.”
“The recently published action plan on market diversification seeks to assist and support Ireland’s businesses to adapt to a new trading environment by exploring new and diverse markets and deepening our engagement in existing markets. The increased funding being provided in budget 2026 to key agencies, such as the IDA and Tourism Ireland, will help to ensure they can play their part in delivering on the ambitions of this action plan. I look forward to working with colleagues in the Department to successfully execute all of these ambitions into the future.”
“This will ensure that we can deliver on a number of key and strategically important enterprise development initiatives, including supporting the scaling up of Irish companies and helping them grow and innovate through targeted measures, such as Enterprise Ireland’s seed and venture programme. The funding will also support our priority actions highlighted in the action plan for competitiveness, such as the establishment of start-up Ireland, expanding the suite of Ireland’s technology centres, supporting the development and implementation of regional enterprise plans and, of course, our LEOs. As Minister for State with responsibility for trade promotion, I am conscious of the important roles carried out by our enterprise and tourism development agencies worldwide to promote our shared trade, investment and tourism objectives.”
“The Department currently provides a range of supports, including the grow digital voucher, tailored plans through the digital for business consultancy scheme and access to expert guidance from our European digital innovation hubs to help SMEs embrace basic levels of digital tools and invest more in sophisticated tools for their businesses. The funding being provided through budget 2026 will ensure that businesses can continue to avail of these supports. I am committed to ensuring that our indigenous businesses, particularly SMEs, are made fully aware of the supports that are available to them for digitalisation. It is also the case that the national development plan has provided our Department with a substantial funding envelope to fund our capital programmes out to 2030.”
“Harnessing the potential of AI, and digital technologies more broadly, is vital to maintain our competitiveness. Budget 2026 paves the way for us to achieve this and fulfils a number of commitments laid out in my Department’s recently published action plan on competitiveness and productivity. Moving on to how budget 2026 practically assists Irish businesses in reaping the benefits of AI and digital transformation, one of the biggest opportunities around AI and digital deployment is bridging the productivity gap in our indigenous SMEs.”
“Budget 2026 will safeguard and expand our economic growth and enhance Ireland’s competitiveness into the future. It is future-focused and, critically, it reflects the importance of Ireland’s digital and enterprise economy. With regard to the measures in budget 2026 that fall under my remit, I will mention two particular areas. First, we have ring-fenced €1.4 million to establish a national artificial intelligence office. Second, funding has been secured for an AI summit which will be part of our EU Presidency in 2026. The new national AI office will act as a central and co-ordinating authority for the EU AI Act in Ireland. The office will act as a vocal point for AI in Ireland, encompassing regulation, innovation and employment.”
“I thank colleagues for raising this. I know they are here on a Thursday evening to raise this matter because they feel passionately about it, and they have raised it in a very articulate and passionate way. Unfortunately, the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, cannot be here this evening. I have taken copious notes on the issues that all three Deputies have raised in case clarity is needed on anything. However, the position of the Government will still be to oppose it.”
“Our laws in this area are kept under review to reflect both national and international developments, including at European Union, Court of Justice and International Labour Organization levels. Some recent employment law developments include the introduction of statutory sick leave, the right to request remote work, protections for workers' tips and gratuities, and the recent substantial increases in the national minimum wage. This year will also see further progression with the introduction of a new seasonal employment permit, the introduction of an automatic pension enrolment system and the expansion of the gender pay gap regime. These demonstrate the Government's continuing commitment to a safe working environment, fair treatment and fair wages for the lowest paid workers in our economy.”
“If the Labour Court were to assume decision-making powers in the absence of engagement from either side, several issues would arise. First of all, the risk of litigation would be high as employers may challenge the validity of orders made without proper consultation. There is also the risk that any employment regulation orders that lack sectoral buy-in or proper consultation from any particular industry representative or employees may be ignored or contested. This would effectively undermine the core functions of the Labour Court and WRC as they begin to face increased volumes of contested cases. Such proposals could erode the voluntary nature of our industrial relations scheme, replacing it with a more adversarial and less effective model. This Government has upheld workers' rights through a comprehensive suite of employment legislation.”
“The sectoral employment order process is a statutory wage-setting mechanism provided for in the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015 and based on the principles of collective bargaining. In addition, this year a new employment regulation order came into effect covering workers in the security sector, and a new ERO will come into effect for the contract cleaning sector in October 2025. These agreements demonstrate how effective the joint labour committee scheme can be when representatives of employees and employers voluntarily negotiate together to identify a mutually beneficial agreement. Turning once again to the legislative proposals raised by Deputy Lawlor, I must express concern about the significant administrative burden that would be placed on the Labour Court and the WRC if these proposals were introduced.”
“In particular, the role of the Labour Court is to act as a court of last resort, making recommendations where all other avenues have been exhausted. Likewise, the WRC intervenes only in exceptional circumstances and at all times, ensuring that the autonomy of the social partners is not compromised. I believe that a strong and well-functioning collective bargaining system supports productivity and fair wages, especially in low-paid sectors. To give one example, the 2024 SEO for the construction sector came into effect on 1 August and will introduce higher rates of pay for craft and general construction workers. Their pay increased by 3.4% in August 2025 and will increase again by 3.2% in August 2026.”
“The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights also explicitly guarantees a right to collective bargaining and action by affirming that both employers and workers have the right to negotiate collective agreements and to take collective decisions to protect their interests. The WRC and the Labour Court are both independent statutory offices under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. They are central pillars of Ireland's industrial relations and employment rights frameworks and play crucial roles in maintaining industrial harmony and resolving workplace disputes in Ireland. They provide impartial mechanisms for resolving disputes and only intervene when voluntary efforts have reached an impasse.”
“It has also enhanced Ireland’s attractiveness as a major investment location and led to a co-operative environment for resolving disputes. The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015 defines "collective bargaining" as comprising voluntary engagements or negotiations with the object of reaching agreement regarding working conditions or terms of employment, or non-employment, of workers. The freedom of association and the right to organise and bargain collectively are also guaranteed in a number of international instruments that the State has ratified and is, therefore, bound to uphold under international law. For example, Article 6 of the European Social Charter provides a right to bargain collectively that is to be promoted through joint consultation between workers and employers.”
“Moreover, it also raises complex questions regarding the type of evidence that would be required by the Labour Court to justify such a recommendation. It would also have to be considered how this process would differ from the existing sectoral employment order mechanism, which already allows substantially representative unions or employer bodies to initiate a review. It has been the consistent policy of successive Governments to promote collective bargaining through both legislation and the development of an institutional framework supporting a voluntary system of industrial relations premised upon freedom of contract and freedom of association. Ireland’s long-standing voluntarist system has served us well over the decades, helping to contribute to industrial peace and stability.”
“The LEEF report recommended that decision-making powers would be transferred from the JLCs to the Labour Court in an instance where parties from the employer and-or employee sides will not engage in the JLC process. The LEEF report then recommended that the Labour Court, after giving the social partners an opportunity to engage, make a recommendation to the Minister to adopt an employment regulation order for new pay rates and terms and conditions in the sector. My Department’s analysis of this LEEF proposal indicates that implementing this proposal would require significant legislative reform. It would fundamentally alter the role of the JLCs, moving them away from forums of voluntary and independent collective bargaining and into something quite different.”
“The action plan is intended to be comprehensive, identifying both legislative and non-legislative measures that can enhance collective bargaining while promoting competitiveness, supporting productivity and ensuring a level playing field for all employers and workers. Any sort of premature legislative intervention at this stage will be a disruption to the balanced, inclusive approach this Government has always been committed to. Deputy Lawlor, in his proposal, highlights the challenge posed when the employer side exercises a veto, potentially stalling progress on setting rates of pay and conditions of employment for employees in certain sectors. On this point, I acknowledge that a very similar proposal was made by the LEEF high-level working group on collective bargaining in 2022.”
“As outlined in the directive, the action plan will establish a clear timeline and concrete measures to progressively increase the rate of collective bargaining coverage. The process will have full respect for the autonomy of the social partners and ensure ongoing engagement with all relevant stakeholders. Officials in my Department are actively working with the social partners in shaping the content and overall direction of the action plan. Moreover, a public consultation was held from April to May of this year to gather broad input on its content. The Government believes that introducing major legislative changes at this early stage risks undermining the integrity of the consultative process.”
“After careful consideration, the Government will oppose this Bill for several compelling reasons, and I will set these out. I will also share the Government’s broader plans to strengthen support for collective bargaining in Ireland over the coming years. The programme for Government sets out a clear commitment to publish an action plan on the promotion of collective bargaining by the end of 2025. This initiative will be in line with the EU directive on adequate minimum wages. The directive is before the Court of Justice of the European Union, but Ireland has reaffirmed its strong commitment to workers’ rights by proceeding with the development of this action plan, regardless of the outcome of that ruling.”
“I thank Deputy Lawlor for moving his Bill. I do appreciate the concern he has around this issue, and it is laudable. I stand before Members to debate a Private Members’ Bill that proposes to amend provisions governing the operation and constitution of joint labour committees. This Bill seeks to address situations where employers or workers fail to engage in consultation with the Labour Court, by granting the Labour Court additional powers to appoint members to the JLC whom it considers representative of either side’s interests, without requiring them to necessarily be employers' or workers’ representatives. It also provides for a scenario where such appointments are not practicable that the Court will formulate its own employment regulation order.”
“The Government is committed to ensuring that Ireland is a leader in the digital and AI economy and recognises that harnessing the potential of AI and digital technologies more broadly is vital to maintaining our competitiveness, driving productivity and ensuring that Ireland maintains its position as the location of choice for doing business. When I say that, I mean globally. I thank the Deputy for his comments and questions and look forward to working with him on the three big ticket items.”
“The EU AI Act is a pivotal regulation that is horizontal in nature, that is risk-based and provides the necessary guardrails for transparency and the ethical adoption of AI to protect our citizens. The AI Act also supports AI innovation and will have a positive impact on our economy and our society at large. That is a critical message I would like to deliver today. This should not be seen as a negative. The many start-ups I have met so far are all very keen to see the regulation in place. They do not see it as a negative. They see it as a positive. We are seen as a country of excellence when it comes to regulation. AI will be no different because it gives people a pathway. They know what they can and cannot do. They know what the expectations are. We will drive that as a place for innovation and not stifle creativity in any way.”
“I think the Deputy knows my work rate and work pace. I certainly intend to be a driving force to ensure this happens. As he has said, three big things have to happen as quickly as possible in the lifetime of this Government. The first is the establishment of the AI office. The second is the establishment of the AI observatory, which is critically important to predict the impacts AI will have, including where jobs will be created and where they will be displaced, so that we can be resilient rather than just reacting. On the third piece, I am happy to confirm to the Deputy that we will be holding an AI summit in October 2026 as part of the European Presidency. I look forward to the Deputy and his committee collaborating with me on that. We can work collaboratively on that.”
“The implementation of the AI Act is truly a cross-government initiative and I look forward to working in a very collaborative way across government to ensure Ireland achieves its ambition of being a centre of regulatory excellence and maintaining its place as a leader in human-centric and responsible AI.”
“Detailed work plans have been developed to ensure the AI office is in place by August 2026. These are informed by research and analysis prepared for my Department by leading professional services firms. Funding for the new office will be determined as part of budget 2026. The implementation of the AI Act is truly a cross-government initiative. As the Deputy himself has said on many occasions, this cannot be something that happens within the Department of enterprise alone. A whole-of-government approach must be taken. I was delighted to see the Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, launch guidelines on the implementation of AI within public services at the beginning of the summer.”
“The final function is to drive AI innovation and adoption through the hosting of a regulatory sandbox and to act as a focal point for AI in Ireland encompassing regulation, innovation and deployment. My officials are currently developing the general scheme of the regulation of artificial intelligence Bill. This general scheme will provide for the implementation and enforcement of the AI Act at a national level in domestic legislation, including the establishment of the new AI office as an independent statutory agency. I take the Deputy's point. In its infancy, the office will be set up under my Department but, as the Deputy knows, the final creation will be an independent statutory entity. The Minister, Deputy Burke, will bring the general scheme to Government in the next four weeks.”
“While the details of the AI office are being finalised and my Department has retained professional consultancy services to assist, four clear functions for the AI office have currently been established. The first is to co-ordinate the competent authorities' activities to ensure consistent implementation of the EU AI Act in Ireland. I had the pleasure of facilitating one of those meetings last week. We had the 15 competent authorities in the room and all on the same page with an ambition to do this. The second function is to act as a single point of contact for the EU AI Act and the third is to facilitate centralised access to technical expertise for the competent authorities, as required.”
“I believe that is what the Deputy is referencing when he talks about our sandboxes and that national AI office. It is about having space for innovation and creativity. Start-up companies must be very clear on the guardrails but the development of such companies or the AI apps we will see in the future should not be inhibited. That is an ambition of mine. It should be a positive rather than a negative. It should not be a regulatory body that just says "No, you cannot do this" but a place where people can experiment and be certain that what they are creating and devising is human-centred and will not provide any harmful content. As Chair of the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence, the Deputy will be fully aware of the need to drive innovation while also protecting our citizens.”
“I congratulate the Deputy on the work he is doing in the artificial intelligence committee. I listened in to most of this week's meeting. As the Deputy has said, the young people who spoke were very articulate and great advocates for the young person's perspective on artificial intelligence and the impact it will have. I thank the Deputy and the committee for the work they are doing. They are doing us all a service in interrogating the issues in this area. As the Deputy will be aware, the EU AI Act entered into force in August 2024 with a very ambitious timeline for national implementation. The role of AI across our economy and society is of crucial importance and provides all of us with huge opportunities while also necessitating guardrails around its deployment.”
“The NCSE is available to schools to support them with the deployment of the SNA resource allocation to support their pupils with their care needs. The Department of Education consults all stakeholders, including parents' groups, advocacy groups, schools and representative bodies on any new policy changes relating to special education. I could continue reading the script, but I want to say in earnest that I appreciate this has been a difficult and challenging time. The communication has upset parents and got them very worried. All of our inboxes are full. The Deputies have articulated their concerns very well. I will relay them to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan. I hope we can bring clarity and peace of mind to the parents affected.”
“Clarity is very important. I hope our school principals, leaders and, most importantly, parents will, through the SENOs on the ground, be given clarity on this and will not have this concern in the new academic year. As I mentioned earlier, there has been increased investment in the provision of SNAs throughout the country in recent years. The numbers have doubled in the past ten years. I do not see this in any way being depleted; I see it as increasing. Far be it from me to say, because I will not be at Cabinet during the budget discussions, but I think we all agree it will have to be increased. It increased by 43% in the past five years alone. Any school that may have a concern should contact the SENO to discuss the matter.”
“I thank Deputies Butterly and O'Rourke again. No more than them, I have had many meetings with principals. Prior to the guidelines being printed over the summer or the beginning of the school year, the allocation of SNAs was a source of concern and upheaval for schools. Principals were ringing around trying to make sure they had everybody in place. I take on board what Deputies O'Rourke and Butterly said and I will relay their suggestions to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee. I was not privy to the committee meeting yesterday, which they referenced, but I will relay their concerns. I thank the Deputies for raising the issue and for giving me the opportunity to discuss it. As they know, the NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on education provision for children with special needs.”
“The NCSE has confirmed it will be contacting school representative bodies and school leadership in the coming days with further clarification on all issues raised since publication.”
“It is crucial to state that where an emerging requirement for future SNA support arises after 24 October, a school can contact their NCSE special education needs organiser, SENO, as in previous years, to discuss the need for an SNA review. This has not changed. Where additional SNA resources are necessary to support the needs of students in a school, this will be provided as it has been in previous years. The NCSE requirements for SNA reviews for 2025-26 are based on existing parameters and circulars relating to the role of the NCSE. The criteria for the determination of a school's allocation have not changed and are outlined in Circular 30/2014. Any school which has a special class or is opening a new special class will be allocated the base number of SNAs according to class category and this will not be reduced.”
“The NCSE guidelines that were issued relate solely to SNA reviews. There is no change to the allocation process for schools or special classes. Schools can apply for a review where they require additional SNA support. We encourage schools to contact the NCSE in this regard. Schools can apply for a SNA review from 15 September to 24 October via the NCSE school portal. This is to support the earlier announcement of allocations for the 2026-27 school year to align with the release of the annual staffing schedule, which was requested by schools to allow them to plan better. It also supports our SNA workforce and the implementation of SNA redeployment schemes.”
“I think we can all agree on that. This month sees over 23,000 SNAs allocated to schools. This is the highest number ever. As all Members of the House know, these SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students and are committed to supporting and nurturing children with additional needs. I assure them that the Department and the NCSE, through all policy and guidance, including resource allocations, take a child-centred focus to ensure that all children in our schools with additional care needs are provided with a supportive environment and the resources needed to help them develop and be prepared for life after school. Furthermore, and contrary to some commentary in recent days, I reassure the Deputies that the allocation of SNAs for special classes and mainstream schools has not changed.”
“I thank Deputies Butterly and O’Rourke for raising this important issue. I think all our offices have been flooded which tells its own story of the concerns and fear out there among SNAs, parents, schools and everyone involved. We need to defuse that but more importantly we need to give the information so that people are clear about what the guidelines will mean. I apologise on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, that he cannot be here this evening. At the outset, it's important to say that the Government is fully committed to supporting children with additional needs to achieve their full potential and the programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The Department has been steadily building on the number of special needs assistants in our education system.”
“I have no doubt that the Minister will be kicking down doors to ensure there is an increase in the allocation for the Gaeltacht and the Irish language in budget 2026.”
“While Foras na Gaelige has not been able to benefit directly from the funding I alluded to, the Government has initiated various schemes and programmes to ensure the funding reaches the organisations working on the ground with the Irish language and Gaeltacht communities across the country. The Minister has serious ambitions for his Department. He is a Gaelgeoir himself. Unfortunately, I only have a cúpla focail but I always make the effort where I can. It is great that the Minister is so proficient with the language. He is a great advocate for it too. He has serious ambition for the Department over the course of the programme for Government and he has the full support of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and the coalition partners in that regard.”
“There are obviously issues as regards the funding arrangements for Foras na Gaelige. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, is acutely aware of these issues. In light of this he has requested that his officials keep in regular contact with their counterparts in the Department for communities in an effort to resolve the matter. Government investment in the Irish language and the Gaeltacht has seen major increases over the last five years with the baseline funding doubling since 2020. I am sure the Deputy and I are on the same page in saying that we need more for the organisations on the ground. I welcome the Gaelbhratach scheme where schools which are not Gaelscoils have every opportunity to nurture our native tongue in everyday scenarios in their classrooms and we want to see more of that.”
“Then coming to my county, County Cavan, it has only one primary school and we do not have that secondary school. Again, there are people like Pádraig Ó Cuinneagáin have done enormous work in championing that from the ground up. We have, of course, a responsibility as a government to make sure that the people who are so passionate about it are facilitated and enabled whether it is primary schools, Gaeltacht areas in the local area and having public services through their local authorities. Having all that in place is incredibly important. The protest we saw at the weekend demonstrates to me how passionately people feel about it. It was heartening to see that. As I pointed out earlier, the Government in this jurisdiction cannot unilaterally amend the budgets or the funding ratios of the North-South implementation bodies.”
“As I said, I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this. It is really important that we discuss the funding and vision for our national tongue here in our Parliament. Up to now, it has really been a groundswell of support. Some counties are doing fantastic while others do not have the same opportunities. For example, in County Monaghan, for example, there are four national schools and one secondary school. I do not think I would be wrong in saying those national schools have been championed for years by people like Brendan O’Duffy. A new Gaelscoil will open in Castleblaney in the coming weeks. That is how it should be so that in all our towns, all parents have the option of having their children go through school with Irish as their principal language and having their primary education in that. I wholeheartedly agree with that.”
“We have the latter, the careers roadshow for schools and universities and clár céad míle fáilte, which introduces migrant communities to the language, funding to provide an Irish-medium early years sector and Oireachtas na Gaeilge, which gets significant funding to develop language-based arts and the Irish language Network for the Public Service. I had the pleasure of visiting a little national school in Munterconnaught in my county. The principal, Mr. Vincent Mulvey, and his team have done incredible work, in particular on the programme where pupils are encouraged to use the Irish language. It is not a Gaelscoil, but the idea is to introduce their native tongue for simple everyday use, whether it is to go to the toilet, do their activities or whatever. Those kinds of schemes are having a real-life impact.”
“The Government has also approved significant funding for a series of initiatives being delivered by local organisations including Conradh na Gaeilge, Glór na nGael and Gael Linn, which receive core funding from Foras na Gaeilge, but are limited by the financial challenges with it. This funding is helping to alleviate some of the financial challenges faced by the leading organisations. Initiatives currently funded by the Government include the Gaelbhratach scheme for schools. Glór na nGael is promoting the use of Irish in the home.”
“While Foras na Gaeilge has not been able to benefit directly from this, the Department has initiated a variety of schemes and programmes to ensure the funding reaches the organisations working on the ground with Irish language and Gaeltacht communities across the country. A significant amount of funding is being provided to some of the Irish language led organisations, which are also part-funded by Foras na Gaeilge. The Government has also approved over €2 million in additional funding for Foras na Gaeilge to specifically support the Irish language publishing sector under Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge, a programme that is not subject to co-funding arrangements and is entirely funded by the Irish Government.”
“The Irish Government cannot unilaterally amend the budgets or ratios of the North-South implementation bodies, but the Minister, Deputy Calleary, is acutely aware of the different economic and political circumstances that exist in the two jurisdictions. Officials from the sponsoring Departments in both jurisdictions are in weekly contact at this stage in an effort to resolve the issue. Notwithstanding this, the Irish Government has provided significant additional funding to the Irish language and the Gaeltacht each year since 2020, with baseline funding doubling in the past five years.”
“Levels of funding for Foras na Gaeilge are a source of frustration for six main lead organisations in the Irish language sector as they receive core funding from Foras na Gaeilge. The Irish Government provides 75% of Foras na Gaeilge's approved budget annually with the remaining 25% coming from the Northern Ireland Executive in accordance with the funding ratio agreed with the North-South language body as established. Funding for the North-South language body, including Foras na Gaeilge is approved by the North-South Ministerial Council and requires matched funding to be agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. No more than was the case in his area, busloads of people left Cavan-Monaghan at the weekend to support all things Irish language. It is heartening to hear. The Deputy is right. There is a groundswell of support for the Irish language and for seeing it adequately and properly funded as our national tongue. A day of protest, as the Deputy alluded to, was held last weekend by Irish language and Gaeltacht organisations from across the island, North and South, to highlight a range of issues, including funding for the language, language rights in the North, the implementation of the language legislation and access to public services and housing in the Gaeltacht.”