The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has announced a renewed commitment to the international promotion of the Irish language through substantial funding under An Ciste Tríú Leibhéal Thar Lear for the academic years 2025-26 to 2027-28. A total of up to 681,146 per yearamounting to 1.979 million over three yearshas been approved to support the teaching of Irish at universities across Continental Europe and the United Kingdom.
The scheme provides funding for third-level institutions outside the State that wish to include Irish language instruction as part of their academic offerings. It aims to foster goodwill towards the Irish language internationally and to support its growth as a global language.
Announcing the new round of funding, Minister Calleary said:
I am very proud that my Department is able to announce three years of funding today for the teaching of Irish in European universities under An Ciste Tríú Leibhéal Thar Lear, 2025-28. Over the next three academic years, this scheme will continue to celebrate and encourage the use of the Irish language in universities in the UK and continental Europe. It is very pleasing that my Department has already received 23 applications for this scheme and I hope that more universities will apply for support under the scheme in the future.
During the current funding cycle (2022-23 to 2024-25), over 20 universities benefited from this scheme, with institutions located in Scotland, Wales, England, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. As this round comes to a close, the Department has already received 23 new applications for the 2025-28 period.
The funding will assist universities by covering both staff salaries and course administration costs. It will also contribute up to 80% of the costs for students attending Gaeltacht-based summer immersion programmes, with the remaining 20% to be covered by the students or their institutions.
