Independent Ireland has backed its Galway West candidate’s call to return Údarás na Gaeltachta to what it called its rightful place as the independent development authority for the Gaeltacht.

The fledgling party this week published its policy on the development of the Irish language in Gaeltacht areas – and it calls on Government to increase its funding to allow the development of social, cultural and linguistic programmes.

This, it says, will provide the socio-economic infrastructure that will allow people to continue living and working in their traditional homes.

“The Irish language is a crucial part of our society and, in Galway West, Údarás na Gaeltachta is crucial for the Irish language,” said the party’s general election candidate for Galway West, Cllr Noel Thomas.

“The Irish language is a living language. There have been huge strides taken over the years to increase the number of people speaking Irish.

“Yet the state has failed to develop the infrastructure needed to achieve the level of service that the public demand.”

He pointed out that funding for organisations supporting the Irish language has declined dramatically in recent years – yet according to a Conradh na Gaeilge report into the development of the language over the next five years to 2029, two out of every three people surveyed believed that the state needed to provide more support to promote the language.

The same report showed that one in every two people surveyed would like the opportunity to speak Irish more often.

“The desire is clear, and the need is also clear,” Noel Thomas said.

“In a world where globalisation and cultural homogeneity is rife, the language is that connection with the sense of place and community that every independent society needs to flourish.

“Of course, employment in the Gaeltacht is intricately linked to the Gaeltacht’s viability. The Údarás must ensure that preservation and promotion of the Irish language is at the heart of its work,” Noel Thomas said.

In this regard, Independent Ireland has said it would increase core capital funding for Údarás na Gaeltachta to strengthen its capacity to support economic development and job creation in Gaeltacht areas.

It would provide additional resources to accelerate the rollout of high-speed broadband and digital hubs (gteic network) across all Gaeltacht regions.

It would allow Údarás the funding and increased flexibility to purchase and divest land to address the critical shortage of affordable housing in Irish-speaking communities.

And it would increase funding for Irish language planning initiatives coordinated by Údarás na Gaeltachta to strengthen Irish as a community language.

It would also allocate €7.5 million per annum over five years to Údarás na Gaeltachta for the development of outdoor recreation infrastructure in Gaeltacht areas, enhancing both community amenities and tourism potential.

This funding would support the creation and improvement of walking trails, cycling routes, and swimming facilities, as well as associated signage and interpretive materials in Irish and English.

Pictured: Policy…Cllr Noel Thomas at Leinster House last week.