First ever Irish Language Half Day Strike against broken funding model for the Language
R.A.I.C. (Réiteach Anois, Infheistíocht Chothrom) á lorg ag na grúpaí agus é seo mar ainm ar an fheachtas úr
Tá sé fógartha go mbeidh breis agus 40 grúpa Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta fud fad na tíre ag dul ar stailc leath-lae Dé Céadaoin, 26ú Feabhra 2025 mar chuid den fheachtas RAIC. Tá an stailc á eagrú le héilimh ar an dá Rialtas thuaidh agus theas aisiompú a dhéanamh ar na ciorruithe is déanaí de €820,000 a d’fhógair Foras na Gaeilge ar na mallaibh tríd an maoiniú cuí a chur ar fáil don Fhoras anois agus agus le réiteach fadtéarmach do mhaoiniú na Gaeilge a fhorbairt ar bhonn práinne.
Tháinig an cinneadh seo sna sála ar Thionól Géarchéime idir grúpaí pobail agus ceanneagraíochtaí a bheas thíos leis na ciorruithe ar an 12ú Feabhra 2025 i mBaile Átha Cliath. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an fheachtas RAIC réiteach a fháil ar an dífheistíocht fhadtéarmach agus easpa comhionannais agus maoinithe in earnáil na Gaeilge agus éileamh a dhéanamh go réiteofar an éigeandáil gearrtéarmach agus fadtéarmach.
Tagann an ciorrú is déanaí seo tráth a bhfuil an DUP ag cur bac ar an mholadh atá ar an tábla chun leasú a dhéanamh ar struchtúr maoinithe an Fhorais Teanga. I láthair na huaire, tagann 25% de bhuiséad Fhoras na Gaeilge ón rialtas ó thuaidh agus 75% ón rialtas ó dheas agus ní féidir le ceachtar den dá rialtas airgead breise a chur i dtreo bhuiséad an Fhorais gan a chomhionann ón rialtas eile. Le déanaí, aontaíodh socrú nua idir an dá Aire Airgeadais, fríd an Chomhairle Aireachta thuaidh-theas, a thabharfadh cead do cheachtar den dá rialtas airgead breise a chur i dtreo bhuiséad an Fhorais Teanga gan a chomhionann ón rialtas eile. Ní mór don Fheidhmeannas ó thuaidh a mbeannacht a thabhairt don leasú nua seo, ach tá bac curtha ag an DUP roimh an mholadh sin dul ar chlár oibre an Fheidhmeannais breis agus 5 huaire ó bhí mí na Samhna ann. Leis sin, tá cros a dhéanamh ag an DUP ar mhaoiniú breise don Ghaeilge ar bhonn 32 contae tráth a bhfuil Rialtas na hÉireann a rá go bhfuil airgead breise acu réidh le dul láithreach chuig an Fhoras.
I measc éilimh an fheachtais, tá na grúpaí ar lorg;
Go nglacfaidh an dá Rialtas leis an mhúnla nua maoinithe molta ag na Ranna Airgeadais láithreach bonn;
Gealltannas ó Fhoras na Gaeilge go mbeadh aisiompú ar an €820,000 do dheontaithe mar chéad tosaíocht in aon mhaoiniú breise a fhaightear ó na Rialtais;
Ar a laghad an €20m sa bhreis a chur ar fáil d’Fhoras na Gaeilge faoi mar atá luaite sa Phlean Fáis, plean infheistíochta don Ghaeilge agus don Ghaeltacht aontaithe idir 130 grúpa, agus;
Gealltanas ó Fhoras na Gaeilge go maoineofar na tionscadail / deontaithe luaite sa Plean Fáis mar thosaíocht d’aon mhaoiniú sa bhreis faighte ón dá Rialtas nó aon Rialtas amháin
Groups are seeking an immediate solution and fair investment as they undertake new campaign to highlight historic disinvestment in the language
Over 40 Irish-language and Gaeltacht groups across the country will be on a half-day strike this Wednesday, 26th February 2025 as part of the R.A.I.C. (Solution Now, Fair Investment) campaign. The strike is being organised to call on both Governments north and south to reverse the latest cuts of €820,000 announced recently by Foras na Gaeilge by providing the appropriate funding to Foras na Gaeilge now and to urgently develop a long-term solution for Irish-language funding.
This decision followed a Crisis Assembly between community groups and lead organisations who are affected by the cuts on 12th February 2025 in Dublin. The RAIC campaign aims to resolve long-term disinvestment and lack of equality and funding in the Irish language sector and to call for the short-term and long-term emergency to be resolved.
This latest cut comes at a time when the DUP is blocking a proposal to amend the funding structure of the Language Body. At present, 25% of Foras na Gaeilge’s budget comes from the government in the north and 75% from the government in the south and neither government can put additional money towards the Foras budget without the equivalent from the other government. Recently, a new arrangement was agreed between the two Ministers of Finance, through the north-south Ministerial Council, which would allow either government to put additional money towards the budget of An Foras Teanga without the equivalent of the other government. The NI Executive must agree to this new amendment, but the DUP has blocked this proposal from going on the Executive’s agenda more than 5 times since November. Therefore, the DUP is vetoing additional funding for the Irish language on a 32 county basis at a time when the Irish Government has said that they have extra money ready to go immediately to Foras na Gaeilge.
Among the demands of the campaign, the groups are seeking;
Immediate adoption by both Governments of the new funding model for Foras na Gaeilge as proposed by both Finance Departments and the North South Ministerial Council (September 2024);
A commitment from Foras na Gaeilge that a reversal of the €820,000 for grantees would be the first priority in any additional funding received from Governments;
To provide Foras na Gaeilge with at least the additional €20m as laid out in the Growth Plan, an investment plan for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht agreed between 130 groups, and;
A commitment from Foras na Gaeilge to fund the projects/grantees mentioned in the Growth Plan as a priority for any additional funding received from both Governments or one Government.
