During his visit today to the Iorras area in the Mayo Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers TD, Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, announced that he has officially approved a Language Plan for the Gaeltacht Service Town of Castlebar. A Gaeltacht Service Town is a town that provides public and social services to the Gaeltacht community. Status as a Gaeltacht Service Town is achieved when a language plan prepared by the town’s community is approved under the Gaeltacht Act, 2012.
The language plan was compiled by Gnó Mhaigh Eo to set up the language planning process in Castlebar. A Language Planning Officer will be employed to implement the plan under the direction of the organisation and with the support of Foras na Gaeilge.
This is the seventh Gaeltacht Service Town identified so far under the language planning process. Foras na Gaeilge provides ongoing support to these Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks to prepare and implement language plans.
As he approved the Castlebar Language Plan, Minister of State Chambers said:
“I would like to congratulate Gnó Mhaigh Eo – the Lead Organisation of the Gaeltacht Service Town – and all those involved in putting together the language plan for the town. As with all the plans already in place, the Castlebar language plan will provide opportunities for the town community to be central to the extra effort required to ensure the safe and secure transmission of the Irish language to generations to come. The significant funding I have announced today will support the implementation of the language planning process in Castlebar, and throughout the country, in order to strengthen the position of the Irish language.”
