The Minister of State, with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers, has said on RTE News that Irish language courses in the Gaeltacht have been cancelled for a second summer in succession, due to ongoing public health concerns.

The Minister said that the decision has been made  following extensive consultation with colleges and families that host students. He said that mná tí, who provide accommodation for students, and course operators expressed “considerable health and safety concerns” for Gaeltacht families and the local communities arising from the hosting of summer courses due to Covid-19. In particular, there were concerns about hosting large numbers of teenagers who are not vaccinated.

Work will begin on providing a compensation package to the communities that would be reliant on the income brought by the language courses. Last year a €4.7 million fund was put in place to assist those areas. It is hoped the courses will run in 2022.

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