MEMBERS OF GAELTACHT community groups, language activists, and students gathered outside a number of Government offices today, protesting the ongoing housing crisis that has caused depopulation in a number of Gaeltacht regions.

The protests, organised by the Tinteán campaign, were held at key government and local council sites in Roinn na Gaeltachta in Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal, at Galway County Council, and at Údarás na Gaeltachta in Gaeltacht Mhúscraí, Cork.

Gaeltacht residents said that the protests were held to highlight “the continued depopulation and displacement” of the Gaeltacht as a result of the housing crisis. 

Tinteán, which was launched last November to raise awareness of the crisis and its impact on the Gaeltacht, has called for urgent action from the government to address the housing shortage in Irish-speaking communities.

Róisín Ní Chinnéide, Advocacy Manager with Conradh na Gaeilge, said the demonstrations came in the wake of a Programme for Government that “stirred disappointment and anger in the community”.

“For the first time ever, an entire section was dedicated to housing in the Gaeltacht in the Programme for Government, a clear sign that public pressure is working – but these commitments are merely a token gesture compared to the specific demands made by the campaign,” Ní Chinnéide said.

The Programme for Government published in January says that the State will work with Údarás na Gaeltachta, a regional authority responsible for the economic and cultural development of the Gaeltacht, to ensure there is “adequate provision of housing and community services” in Gaeltacht communities.

No specific goals or figures are given for the provision of housing in Gaeltacht areas in the Programme.

“Promises don’t equate to action, and the government and local authorities now need to fit their actions to their words,” Ní Chinnéide said.

“This issue is the major crisis of our time for the Gaeltacht community, and its resolution is a critical test for a State that has continuously neglected us.”

Key demands

Demonstrators voiced their concerns about the failure of Government to implement Gaeltacht planning guidelines, which were promised in 2021 but have yet to be brought forward.

They also pointed to the growing disparity between the number of short-term lets, such as those available on Airbnb, and the lack of long-term rental properties in Gaeltacht areas.

Tinteán has made several key demands – including giving Údarás na Gaeltachta, the government agency responsible for the development of the Gaeltacht, the power and resources to establish a Housing Section.

This would enable Údarás na Gaeltachta to purchase land, secure planning permission, and develop housing specifically for Irish speakers in Gaeltacht regions.

Tinteán protestors also called for the development of a ‘Gaeltacht Population and Housing Strategy’ for each Gaeltacht Language Planning Area.

This strategy would include clear, measurable targets to ensure sustainable growth and an adequate supply of housing to support that growth.

Additionally, campaigners called for the reinstatement of annual funding for the Gaeltacht housing grants scheme to help Irish speakers build or renovate homes in Gaeltacht areas.

Seanán Mac Aoidh, Manager of Gaeltacht Co-Operative Pobal Eascarrach in Donegal, stressed the urgency of the situation, explaining that the Gaeltacht “has been experiencing depopulation for years”.

“We’ve heard plenty of talk about language planning, but if there are no people left to speak the language, what is the point?,” Mac Aoidh said.

“The State must urgently address this issue. We have put forward clear proposals that would resolve many of the challenges, and all that is needed to implement them is the will and commitment — two things we have not received from the Government when it comes to Gaeltacht housing for a very, very long time.

“If we are to secure the future of the Gaeltacht, urgent action is needed .”