Irish language group workers strike over funding cuts

By Rebecca Black, PA

Irish language group workers took part in strike action across Ireland on Wednesday over a funding crisis.

The action involved more than 40 groups on both sides of the border. including in Derry, Dublin, Galway and Donegal.

Some of them claim they have to choose between paying bills or providing services.

A number of people also gathered outside Culturlann McAdam O Fiaich in west Belfast.

The strike action comes after the cross-border Irish language body Foras na Gaeilge announced funding cuts of €820,000.

The cuts will directly impact Irish language groups across Ireland, and are expected to result in many community schemes having to be cut in the coming months.

Padraig O Tiarnaigh, from Conradh na Gaeilge, said Foras na Gaeilge has suffered a real-time funding cut of 45 per cent over the last 20 years.

He said the latest cuts will leave groups unable to offer classes or services.

“We’re all at breaking point,” he told the PA news agency.

“Some of these groups have told us that they’re now having to choose between whether to pay for their heating or their broadband, cancel their youth clubs or close their premises altogether.

“It is now an existential crisis for groups that have done a huge amount of work to develop the Irish language and offer vital community services.”

However, he also said there is funding available from the Irish Government if the Stormont Executive agreed to a new framework.

He said Foras na Gaeilge, the north-south body tasked with promoting the Irish language, depends on a match-funding mechanism that must be agreed by both Stormont and the Dáil.

“We believe there is a solution on the table. We know there is extra money available in the south, but that money cannot get through to Foras na Gaeilge due to the funding mechanism that requires match-funding from the northern Executive,” he said.

“Over recent months, both finance ministers agreed a new framework to reform that funding relationship which would allow either Government to provide Foras with additional funding without the need for the equivalent match-funding from the other government.

“There is a big question now for the Executive, particularly the DUP, who have blocked, over the last four or five months, a proposal to amend the north/south funding mechanism.

“They don’t seem willing to budge on that, and that is putting the groups here under a lot of pressure through the funding cuts from Foras na Gaeilge.”

West Belfast People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll joined the strike action.

“I support the sector, and my kids avail of Irish language education services and will probably be impacted directly by these cuts,” he said.

Mr Carroll also said the current funding model for Irish does not work, and described the sector generally as underfunded.

“A lot of that is the fault of the Stormont Executive, there is lip service towards supporting the Irish language sector but when it comes to the funding of organisation, of Irish medium education, it is not enough,” he said.