Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
925. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the grants and supports available for students seeking to attend summer Gaeltacht courses, to ensure cost is not a prevention from accessing these cultural and educational areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28086/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department supports the Irish summer colleges sector to foster language acquisition and enrichment opportunities in the Gaeltacht for learners of the language. The Department provides a subsidy under Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge / the Irish Language Learners Scheme (SFG) payable to qualifying Gaeltacht households providing accommodation for those attending an Irish course in any one of the c. 40 Irish-language colleges operating under the scheme.
The sector caters to a broad demographic of learners, from the age of 10 years upwards and operates from January to December annually. The most widely identifiable learners are those attending summer college courses from June to August and which cater for young people aged 10 years (or from third to fifth class) to those aged 19 years (those undertaking the Leaving Certificate). The Department also recognises courses which are aimed at third level students, including individuals who are undertaking teacher-training, and other adult learners, including public sector workers.
Evidence indicates an upward trend in the number of learners attending Gaeltacht colleges. Departmental figures show that over 29,000 learners participated in courses at Gaeltacht colleges in 2025. This represents an increase on the figure for 2024 and also on the 2019 pre-pandemic figure which both stood at around 27,000.
My Department also funds a number of specific initiatives under Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge including the DEIS Gaeltachta scholarship scheme. Established in 2019, this scheme provides scholarships to post-primary students attending DEIS schools to attend recognised Irish summer colleges. This initiative is administered by the Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB). Additional funding has been allocated to this initiative since its establishment, with the annual allocation growing from €50,000 in 2019 to €900,000 in 2025. With this significant rise in funding, over 900 scholarships are now offered annually. It should be noted also that, in the period since the scheme was established, the Department of Education and Youth has increased the number of post-primary schools with designated DEIS status to over 230, thus ensuring that the DEIS Gaeltachta scheme is more broadly accessible than ever before.
Each scholarship is worth c.€950 each or 85% of the course fee, whichever is lesser, for a three-week course and €820 or 85% of the course fee, whichever is lesser, for a two-week course. I understand from the GRETB that both demand and uptake of scholarships remains high annually and that the number of DEIS school participating has increased in recent years from 36% of schools in 2023/24 to 63% in 2024/25.
In the interest of completeness, it should be noted that, in addition to the aforementioned grant schemes funded by my Department, it is understood that a number of other public and private organisations administer Irish college scholarship schemes. As my Department does not have oversight of these schemes, I am not in a position to provide details of same.
I am satisfied that these measures provide significant, broadly accessible, language-learning opportunities for young people across the country at different ages and stages of education and align with the key principles of social inclusion, while generating substantial down-stream economic benefits for Gaeltacht regions.
