Housing provision now a problem in all Gaeltacht areas, states Údarás na Gaeltachta following board meeting in An Rinn, Co. Waterford
A delegation from the local development body gave the board an overview of the development work being undertaken in the locality.
During the course of a meeting of the Údarás na Gaeltachta board, convened recently in Coláiste na Rinne in the Waterford Gaeltacht, a delegation from the local development body, Comhlacht Forbartha na nDéise, gave the board an overview of the development work being undertaken in the locality. The local delegation expressed concern about the growing problem of housing provision in the area; a high number of holiday homes in the Déise Gaeltacht, among other factors, is making it difficult for the local Irish-speaking community to find houses to buy or rent at a reasonable price.
The representatives of Comhlacht Forbartha na nDéise maintained that the housing issue is now the greatest danger to the preservation and strengthening of Na Déise as an Irish-speaking Gaeltacht area, as young Irish-speaking families were finding it impossible to remain in the area.
The Board members concurred and expressed the opinion that the situation was similar in most other Gaeltacht regions.
The Board chairperson, Anna Ní Ghallachair said ”The housing issue is currently one of the greatest threats to the survival of Irish as a living language in the Gaeltacht and indeed outside the Gaeltacht. We, the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta, can see that the question of housing is causing great anxiety in every Gaeltacht region. Comhlacht Forbartha na nDéise are to be commended for their determination in grappling with this issue. Údarás na Gaeltachta is already endeavouring to find solutions in An Rinn, working in co-operation with the local community; we are in ongoing discussions with the local authority, offering Údarás na Gaeltachta-owned land for the provision of affordable housing. We are also involved in research about housing provision in the Donegal Gaeltacht. We are currently looking at all the ways in which Údarás na Gaeltacht might, within our remit, find some way of relieving the difficulties created by the dearth of suitable housing, now a problem in almost every Gaeltacht community.