Following the elections held throughout Ireland this year, Conradh na Gaeilge is calling the voting public to action on behalf of the Irish language and the Gaeltacht as part of the #GaelVóta campaign.
It started with action forums being held across the country in the last few months. Now Conradh na Gaeilge is asking local voters – those that are fluent Irish speakers, those that are learning Irish, or indeed those that support the language in any way – to put the following commitments to all the newly-elected representatives in their own constituency. Ní neart go cur le chéile - there is strength in unity, and politicians will listen to their local communities if they are all questioned about whether or not they will actively work to support the Irish language and for the Gaeltacht.
Irish-Language & Gaeltacht Commitments
An 
all-Ireland investment plan has been agreed by over 80 Irish-language and Gaeltacht groups, including community and all-island organisations and their funding authorities, and the groups are looking for all political parties and representatives to officially pledge their support for the plan: http://bit.ly/pleaninfheistiochta
The community and all-Ireland organisations are also looking for representative commitments to ensure that the investment plan is acted upon, including the appointment of Senior Ministers north and south to act on behalf of the Irish language and the Gaeltacht and to ensure that the plan is well managed and implemented in full: http://bit.ly/beartaionadaiochta
Assembly Election (North): Thursday, 5 May 2016
3 Main Commitments for the Irish Language & Gaeltacht:
- An additional investment of £2.6 million in an Irish-languag e plan to expand the use of Irish and to create new jobs
- A Minister for Communities that is supportive of the Irish language and able to promote the wishes of Irish speakers (responsibility for the Irish language will transfer to the Communities Minister when the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is abolished)
- A Minister for Education who supports Irish in the education system and who ensures the continued development of the Irish-medium education sector
General Election (South): Friday, 26 February 2016
3 Main Commitments for the Irish Language & Gaeltacht:
- An additional investment of €18 million in an Irish-language and Gaeltacht plan to expand the use of Irish and to create 1,175+ new jobs
- The appointment of a senior Minister for Irish and for the Gaeltacht, who has Irish, so that there is Irish language input at the Government table
- The establishment of a joint Oireachtas committee for the Irish language and Gaeltacht affairs of the same standing as other joint Oireachtas committees
Did you know?
- Nearly 2 million people on the island of Ireland have some proficiency in Irish
- Interest in Irish and the use of the language is continuously growing, especially amongst young people. For example, over 1 million people have recently listened to the famous celebrity Ed Sheeran singing in Irish
- The investment plan and the additional political structures that we are looking for will help achieve the vision for the Irish language as envisaged by the rebellion generation and will properly commemorate 1916
- The investment plan* proposed above will cater for the 93% of the population who support the revival or preservation of the Irish language (ESRI & NUI Maynooth, 2009) through:
- Providing an comprehensive programme of usage and learning
- Funding for Irish language centres in towns across the island
- Providing Gaeltacht scholarships for young people and families
- * N.B. The additional funding that is needed for the investment plan is €5 million less than the funding made available for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht in 2008
