At an Údarás na Gaeltachta board meeting in Na Forbacha, Galway, today (12 December), a capital budget totalling €27m which includes a €12m building programme, was approved for 2009 – compared to the capital budget of €32.5m for 2008. Údarás na Gaeltachta expects to raise €5m from the sale of assets in 2009.
The Board agreed that employment-based projects should be given priority during 2009 and to use all available resources to support existing companies maintain their competitiveness and employment levels.
The Chief Executive informed the Board that significant progress had been made with Minister Éamon Ó Cuív and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht affairs regarding Údarás funding requirements. Arising from these talks, an additional €1m of capital funding has been provided to the organisation and An tÚdarás is confident that discussions regarding the current level of operational funding will have a positive outcome. Nevertheless, he said that cut-backs had to be implemented in all areas of the organisation’s current expenditure during 2009 in order to operate within the available resources and meet government targets for public expenditure.