At an Údarás na Gaeltachta Board meeting in Baile Bhuirne in Co. Cork today (28 March 2014), €307,000 in funding was approved to Ealaín (na Gaeltachta) Teo to support the company to continue its arts development programme in the Gaeltacht in 2014, in partnership with the Arts Council.
A total of €678,000 was approved by the Board towards education and training schemes that will be run in the Gaeltacht throughout the year. It is the aim of the Údarás to increase the skills base in the Gaeltacht and this is done through funding specific schemes and training programmes. These include, the Apprenticeships Scheme, the Management Development Scheme and the Work Experience Scheme. Support is also given to training courses which focus on enterprise and language planning/maintenance. Diploma courses such as Irish Language Planning and Business Administration, run by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, and Teaching Irish to Adults offered by Ionad na dTeangacha, at NUI Maynooth, are funded. Support is also made available to assist participants of the social employment schemes to gain new qualifications by attending relevant courses outside of the scheme’s applied structure.
The Board agreed to lease ¾ of an acre of Údarás land, located on the edge of Baile Bhuirne’s Business Park, to Bord Oideachais agus Oiliúna Chorcaí, to allow the local committee to locate outdoor fitness equipment next to the running track they are developing as part of the memorial park in Baile Bhuirne.
The Board discussed the decision made by Largo Foods to relocate its manufacturing business in the Gaoth Dobhair Business Park to Ashbourne in County Meath, and they expressed their disappointment at this decision and the implications of such on the employees. The Board was informed that arrangements are being made currently by Údarás management to establish a working group to seek out new projects and employment opportunities in Gaoth Dobhair. The first meeting of the working group will take place within a fortnight.