At a meeting of the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta held in Na Forbacha, Galway, today, the implications of the serious cut-backs to the organisation’s current operational budget for 2009 was discussed.
The Chief Executive, Pádraig Ó hAoláin, informed the Board that the reduced level of current operational funding available to the organisation for 2009 will have serious implications for the Údarás. This substantial reduction demonstrates a lack of understanding regarding the baseline funding required if the Údarás is to maintain it’s capability to deliver an efficient service to the people of the Gaeltacht and it’s business client-base. He said that Údarás has consistently reduced it’s cost-base over the last number of years and further reductions at this time would seriously impair it’s ability to achieve it’s job-targets and implement it’s economic, social and language activities in the Gaeltacht
The Board decided that the Chief Executive and Chairman meet with Minister Ó Cuív and other senior Departmental officials as a matter of urgency to address this issue and endeavour to identify a formula for resolving it.