Cost should not be barrier to attending Gaeltacht summer courses, says Martin

 Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports & Media, Catherine Martin is working to significantly expand a scheme which provides supports to pupils in Deis schools attend the Gaeltacht. Picture: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Children from all backgrounds should be able to attend a Gaeltacht summer course and not just those who can afford to pay, Minister Catherine Martin has said.

She is now working to significantly expand a scheme which provides supports to pupils in Deis schools to attend the Gaeltacht.

It is not yet clear whether summer colleges, which provide a massive economic boost to Gaeltacht areas, will be allowed to operate this year and Ms Martin's department is now working on guidelines.

Pre-Covid around 27,000 students attended Irish colleges nationwide each summer with coláistí Gaeilge worth an estimated €50m to the local Gaeltacht economy.

Irish language groups, including Conradh na Gaeilge, have called for grants to ensure disadvantaged children are able to attend three-week summer courses.

Ms Martin said: "Speaking as someone who taught in a Deis school prior to my election to Dáil Éireann, I can see how a scheme like this can have an immediate positive impact among communities which, for socio-economic reasons, may not have had access to Gaeltacht summer courses which others more fortunate see as a rite of passage."

In 2019, a scholarships scheme worth €850 was introduced to allow 50 students from Deis post-primary schools to attend Gaeltacht Irish summer colleges.

Ms Martin said the uncertainty around summer courses this year means it will not be possible to expand the scheme but she said "this will be at the top of my priority list for 2022 when the country has got back to some semblance of normality".

The importance of providing access to the Gaeltacht for children from disadvantaged backgrounds is only likely to increase over the coming years, especially in light of this government’s commitment for 20% of new recruits to the public service being proficient in the Irish language by 2030, and the need, in my view, for the staffing of the public service to reflect all sections of Irish society.

"Crucially, access to Gaeltacht regions and Irish-speaking communities naturally helps a pupil’s own ability to speak the language which is the greatest benefit.”

Julian De Spáinn of Conradh na Gaeilge said a "huge promotion" of Irish language colleges will be needed next year to encourage students to return and to ensure that enough mná tí provide their homes for students.

Calling on greater accessibility to summer courses for all pupils, he said: "Every student should have the opportunity to attend the Gaeltacht at least once during their time in school.

"It shouldn't be something that's just accessible to people who have the funds, because it is expensive at this stage to attend an Irish college," he said.