Údarás na Gaeltachta (; meaning "Gaeltacht Authority"), abbreviated UnaG, is a regional state agency which is responsible for the

economic An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

and

cultural Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...

development of

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

-speaking (

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...

) regions of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Its stated purpose is to strengthen the Gaeltacht communities, to increase the quality of life of its community members and facilitate the preservation and extension of the Irish language as the principal language of the region. It gives funding to small local businesses that have to compete with foreign companies.

History

It was originally established in 1980 under the Údarás na Gaeltachta Act, 1979, superseding its predecessor

Gaeltarra Éireann Gaeltarra Éireann () was an Irish state industrial development agency set up in 1957 specifically for the Gaeltacht – the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland. Gaeltarra Éireann followed on from the dedicated government department that had been i ...

which had been established in 1957 under the Gaeltacht Industries Act of the same year. It has a strong role in attracting enterprise into Gaeltacht areas, many of which are isolated and economically disadvantaged. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

grant-aid is often provided to indigenous startup companies. They are also involved in the setting up of community co-operatives and employment schemes.

Governance

Údarás na Gaeltachta has a 12-member board. In accordance with the Údarás na Gaeltachta Act, 1979, as amended by the

Gaeltacht Act 2012 The Gaeltacht Act 2012 ( ga, Acht na Gaeltachta 2012) is an Act of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The Act redefined the traditional Irish-speaking areas or ''Gaeltacht'' in the Republic of Ireland on linguistic criteria instead of on geographic areas ...

, the Minister with responsibility for the Gaeltacht appoints the board members for a period not exceeding five years, five of these on the nomination of county councils from counties which include Gaeltacht areas. The head office of Údarás na Gaeltachta is in Furbo, County Galway, with regional offices in

Derrybeg Doirí Beaga (anglicised as Derrybeg, meaning 'small oak trees'), is a Gaeltacht village and townland in the parish of Gweedore (''Gaoth Dobhair'') in County Donegal, Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in t ...

, County Donegal,

Belmullet Belmullet (, IPA: �bʲeːlənˠˈwʊɾˠhəd̪ˠ is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of 1,019 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. It is the commercial and cultural heart of the barony of Erris, wh ...

County Mayo,

Dingle Dingle (Irish language, Irish: ''An Daingean'' or ''Daingean Uí Chúis'', meaning "fort of Ó Cúis") is a town in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coas ...

, County Kerry and Ballymakeera, County Cork. The current chairperson is Anna Ní Ghallachair from

Arranmore ''Árainn Mhór'' (English name: Arranmore) is an island off the west coast of County Donegal, Ireland. Arranmore is the largest inhabited island of County Donegal, with a population of 469 in 2016, but has had a gradually falling native popula ...

, County Donegal.

Constituencies

From 1979 to 2012, some members of the board were elected by popular vote of Gaeltacht residents. These

single transferable vote Single transferable vote (STV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which voters cast a single vote in the form of a ranked-choice ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vote may be transferred according to alternate p ...

constituencies were as follows:

References

External links

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Údarás na Gaeltachta
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Udaras Na Gaeltachta Government agencies established in 1980 Government agencies of the Republic of Ireland 1980 establishments in Ireland Irish culture Gaelic culture Irish language organisations Economy of the Republic of Ireland Celtic language advocacy organizations Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Seanad nominating bodies

History

Governance

Constituencies

See also

References

External links