(Seo alt ónár bhfoireann nua Gaeltachta.  Is féidir an bunleagan as Gaeilge a léamh anseo.)

THE GOVERNMENT IS failing to protect the Irish language in the Gaeltacht, as a new analysis of Census figures has shown that the population of the Gaeltacht is growing but the number of families raising their children through Irish is falling.

That was the response of Sinn Féin’s Gaeltacht spokesperson, Conor D McGuinness, who previously served as Language Planning Officer in the Waterford Gaeltacht, to the publication this week of the report issued by Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta (Parents of the Gaeltacht) which analysed figures from the 2016 and 2022 censuses.

The main finding of that analysis was that the percentage of families raising their children through Irish had remained broadly stable, falling by less than one percentage point from 15.8% in 2016 to 15.2% in 2022.

Sorcha Ní Chéilleachair, CEO of TnaG, which supports families raising their children with Irish in the various Gaeltacht areas, said the figures were both hopeful and a source of concern.

“It is encouraging for those of us who work with families in the Gaeltacht that things are fairly stable but it cannot be denied that the percentages are low,” she said.

Among other findings highlighted in the analysis, it was revealed that there was a further drop, from 21.4% in 2016 to 19.7% in 2022, in the number of daily Irish speakers (over three years) in the general population.

Figures for each of the 26 Language Planning Areas (LPAs) in the Gaeltacht are also included in the report. This section of the figures shows that there has been an increase in the percentage of families who can be said to be raising their children in Irish (who are daily Irish speakers) in 12 Language Planning Areas (LPAs).

However, there are only 3 LPAs in the Gaeltacht where it can be said that over 50% of families are raising their children with Irish. These are the results for the various electoral districts as classified by the authors of the report.

Responding on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta to the findings of the report, Aodán Mac Cormaic, Assistant Secretary for Irish and the Gaeltacht in the Department of Rural, Community and Gaeltacht Development, said that TnaG had only been operating in all language planning areas for the past year.

“These figures between the two censuses do not yet reflect the impact that the work of the Gaeltacht Parents is having on Irish speakers and on the spoken practice of Irish among the Gaeltacht communities,” he said.

“I would hope that in the next census we will see some of that impact in the figures.”

However, according to Sinn Féin’s Gaeltacht spokesperson, Conor McGuinness, the government’s housing policies are behind these figures.

“Without a solution to housing issues, there will be no solution to Irish language issues in the Gaeltacht,” said McGuinness. 

“The groups are on the ground in the Gaeltacht, and Irish speakers in the Gaeltacht are doing their best, but what good is it when young Irish speakers cannot buy or build houses in the Gaeltacht.”

“The Gaeltacht Authority and the Language Planning Officers need additional powers, plans and funding now to solve the Gaeltacht housing problem. Not in a year or a long time from now.”

The Journal’s Gaeltacht initiative is supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme