The Irish language community throughout the country are set to take strike action for the first time as they call for fair investment for the Irish language from both governments. Groups are seeking an immediate solution and fair investment as they undertake new campaign to highlight historic disinvestment in the language.
Over 40 Irish-language and Gaeltacht groups across the country will be on a half-day strike this Wednesday, 26th February as part of the R.A.I.C. (Solution Now, Fair Investment) campaign. The strike is being organised to call on both Governments north and south to reverse the latest cuts of €820,000 announced recently by Foras na Gaeilge by providing the appropriate funding to Foras na Gaeilge now and to urgently develop a long-term solution for Irish-language funding.
This decision followed a Crisis Assembly between community groups and lead organisations who are affected by the cuts on 12th February in Dublin. The RAIC campaign aims to resolve long-term disinvestment and lack of equality and funding in the Irish language sector and to call for the short-term and long-term emergency to be resolved.
Last September it was announced that the Synge Street CBS would become co-educational and a Gaelcholáiste from 2026. In the video below, a teacher from the school stated on RTE News that the school will remain an English school to maintain diversity.
The latest cut comes at a time when the DUP is blocking a proposal to amend the funding structure of the Language Body. At present, 25% of Foras na Gaeilge’s budget comes from the government in the north and 75% from the government in the south and neither government can put additional money towards the Foras budget without the equivalent from the other government. Recently, a new arrangement was agreed between the two Ministers of Finance, through the north-south Ministerial Council, which would allow either government to put additional money towards the budget of An Foras Teanga without the equivalent of the other government. The NI Executive must agree to this new amendment, but the DUP has blocked this proposal from going on the Executive’s agenda more than 5 times since November. Therefore, the DUP is vetoing additional funding for the Irish language on a 32 county basis at a time when the Irish Government has said that they have extra money ready to go immediately to Foras na Gaeilge.
Among the demands of the campaign, the groups are seeking:
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Immediate adoption by both Governments of the new funding model for Foras na Gaeilge as proposed by both Finance Departments and the North South Ministerial Council (September 2024);
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A commitment from Foras na Gaeilge that a reversal of the €820,000 for grantees would be the first priority in any additional funding received from Governments;
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To provide Foras na Gaeilge with at least the additional €20m as laid out in the Growth Plan, an investment plan for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht agreed between 130 groups, and;
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A commitment from Foras na Gaeilge to fund the projects/grantees mentioned in the Growth Plan as a priority for any additional funding received from both Governments or one Government.
Speaking ahead of the strike, President of Conradh na Gaeilge Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin said: “It is a matter of regret that we must take strike action today but this decision was taken because we had no other choice. The latest cuts announced by Foras na Gaeilge are disastrous and affect groups who are already under severe funding pressure. Today’s strike is a testament to the frustration and anger, not just at the latest curtailment, but the long-term disinvestment in Irish language funding. For context, Foras na Gaeilge’s budget has been reduced by 45 % in real time over a 20 year period, at a time when there is a real interest in the Irish language among the community but we are now hindered from attending to that goodwill.”
“Community groups across the country are struggling to heat and light their buildings, let alone provide basic services and implement work plans. The fact that this is happening over 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement which promised a new era of equality for the language is hugely concerning. It is clear that we have a huge problem and that the new cross-border agency, which is responsible for the proper funding of the promotion of the Irish language, has been completely failed by both governments in the last 20 years. There is an urgent need for a satisfactory, long-term solution and I urge both governments to come to an immediate settlement.
Caoimhe Ní Shúilleabháin, Irish Language Development Officer with Cill Dara le Gaeilge said: “The Irish-language and Gaeltacht community will, for the first time ever, be on strike this Wednesday, to take a united stance against cuts to Irish-language funding. It is scandalous that groups, from all over the country, feel the need to take strike action to push this issue forward with both Governments.
All the groups are under enormous pressure. We all came together two weeks ago in Dublin and we were united in the fact that there is now a funding crisis in the community, and that the funding structure north and south behind Foras na Gaeilge is completely broken. It calls on both Governments to fix that funding structure, or to find another way to urgently push the additional funding currently available from the Government in the south to the groups on the ground. I have no doubt that we are stronger as a community as we stand in solidarity together on urgent issues like this. I pay tribute to all the groups standing up for equality today.”
