A delegation from the Irish-language alliance Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge (APG) met with the cross-border body for the Irish language, Foras na Gaeilge, to discuss the funding review of core-funded Irish-language organisations last Friday (10 February 2012). A public consultation on the portfolio of Draft-schemes being put forward by Foras na Gaeilge under their New Funding Model is currently underway.
Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill, a voluntary member of the steering committee of Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge said: "We were amazed to hear that a competitive scheme system had never once been recommended as part of the consultation process to date, despite the fact that this is the system being put forward by Foras na Gaeilge in the portfolio of Draft-schemes under the New Funding Model, and that we are now currently undergoing the third round of the consultation process."
Under the New Funding Model being put forward by Foras na Gaeilge, applicants would be funded based on the implementation of projects and the achievement of objectives laid out by Foras na Gaeilge in the schemes that would be put to open tender, as opposed to the model of organisational core-funding in place thus far.
Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge welcomed the statement, however, that Foras na Gaeilge would accept submissions proposing alternatives to the draft-scheme system currently being put forward, and that they would welcome completely new recommendations regarding the best and most financially effective way to fund the voluntary Irish-language sector in the future.
Feargal Ó Cuilinn, Director of Comhluadar and a member of the APG delegation said: "The core-funded organisations are not opposed to restructuring the voluntary Irish-language sector to ensure the public gets value for money and a more efficient service, but Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge are recommending a system of partnerships to encourage organisations to work together, not to compete against one another."
Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge are strongly urging the public to send in submissions to Foras na Gaeilge advocating a partnership system for the Irish-language voluntary sector before 4.00pm, Monday, 02 April 2012.
MORE INFORMATION:
Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill
Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge Committee
+353 (0)86 8599067 / +353 (0)1 4757401
Feargal Ó Cuilinn
Director, Comhluadar
+353 (0)87 2908391 / +353 (0)1 4757401
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge (APG) is an alliance of Irish-language organisations working to promote Irish across Ireland and the world through more strategic language-planning.
Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge consists of Comhaltas Uladh, Comhluadar, Conradh na Gaeilge, Glór na nGael and Seachtain na Gaeilge, organisations dealing with different aspects of the promotion of Irish in the community that came together to form a working alliance that would ensure a better provision of services and more value for money.
APG will fulfil the all-island brief for the Irish-language sector following the North/South Ministerial Council's announcement on 02 December 2009 that Foras na Gaeilge would have to look for funding requests from the voluntary sector from "One organization (or perhaps a limited number of organizations, [...]), with a representative, circulating information, advocacy and resources and support provision role to the whole sector".
Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge will continue the work currently undertaken by the united organisations of the alliance, and that programme of work will be added to. APG will continue to organise a national festival of the highest calibre publically celebrating the Irish language; it will further develop its lobbying and advocacy programme; it will emphasise the importance of language transmission from generation to generation; it will run an Irish-language competition, nationally and internationally; it will ensure there are wide-ranging opportunities for people to learn Irish; and it will promote innovative new ways in which Irish can be used. Here follow the strategic objectives of Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge:
1. To provide a joined-up plan of action, a structure, and human and physical resources for the operation of the APG;
2. To develop and encourage the ability to speak and learn Irish, the transmission and acquisition of the language;
3. To increase the use of Irish in the community;
4. To acknowledge and extend the status, image, rights and awareness of Irish;
5. To nurture the transmission of Irish from generation to generation on an all-Ireland basis; to maintain and promote the Gaeltacht; and to develop new Gaeltacht networks as language sanctuaries.
Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge values the amount of voluntary work done in the sector and will ensure that consistent, expert professional assistance is provided to volunteers, along with offering an independent forum as a support for the invaluable voluntary work done, for the Irish language.
Comhaltas Uladh is a provincial assembly of Conradh na Gaeilge and was founded in 1926 to administer the work of Conradh na Gaeilge in the province of Ulster, as well as Co. Louth. The organisation's main purpose is to promote the Irish language in Ulster. Comhaltas Uladh provides assistance to drama groups, preschools and other Irish language schools in the 10 counties, and works in partnership with universities and training colleges in Northern Ireland also. Comhaltas runs summer schools in Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas in the north and gives scholarship grants to learners of Irish every year. www.comhaltasuladh.com
Comhluadar was founded in 1993 to support parents who want to speak Irish with their children. Comhluadar works on an all-island basis as the primary organisation promoting the transmission of the Irish language from generation to generation and are a united voice in supporting the rights of families to public services in Irish. Parents and children are invited to a wide range of sociable and eductional events organised by Comhluadar every month. www.comhluadar.ie
Conradh na Gaeilge is the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community working to promote the language. There are over 200 branches of Conradh na Gaeilge and since its foundation in 1893, members of the Conradh have been actively promoting Irish in every aspect of life in Ireland and especially its use in their own areas. Conraitheoirí are at the forefront of campaigns to secure and strengthen the rights of the Irish language community. It is also possible to register as an individual member of the Conradh. Conradh na Gaeilge runs Irish courses in Dublin, Galway, Mayo and other places throughout the country as well. www.cnag.ie/courses
Glór na nGael's vision is to develop people's ability and awareness of the language, so as they will be able to use it in every area of life, through a range of competitions between communities with partners local groups across the country in the promotion of the Irish language. Every year Glór na nGael award more than €150,000 worth of prizes to committees from around the country through the concept of a public competition, and Glór na nGael's evaluation process is the equivalent of a language-planning framework, the only language-planning system operating in Ireland. www.glornangael.ie
Seachtain na Gaeilge is a non-profit organisation, which promotes the use of Irish language and culture both at home and abroad within a two-week festival held in March every year. The festival gives everyone a chance to experiment and have with Irish, whether they are fluent speakers or only dipping their toe in the language for the first time. www.snag.ie
