Éamon Ó Cuív reports on Irish language summer course payments

I'm a god, taking a gamaet o gusaid, an coros cwainach, agus gamaet o Fragor tra Mairla, agus ta sa sin sasal chomsa Na hiigamidighibh so taur sa naai bethain, le coros cwainach, o sae na chid o ganaan ea, nyr aheymwid gandida yn frasial, agus aibriis e hir cain In the UK, the UK has been very difficult for the UK and the UK has been a long time for the UK. The UK has been a long time for the UK and the UK has been a long time for the UK. It's not the case that you have to say, you know how to play the girls and get married, and the people that you are saying now, and when you know that, you know what? I just know that you're not talking about the girls here. What we're thinking about is that. ...and that he was very happy to be able to do the work of the world in history. And he had no idea what to do. There was a lot of... ...in the past, he had a lot of the past in the past in the past. And he said, no, I'm not sure... We had a lot of different things and different things in the world. We had a few years ago, but we had a few years ago, and we had a few years ago, and we had a few years ago, and we had a few years ago, And when I was in school, I would say that it was a new one. When I was going to talk about this, I would say, In the next day, the people who have been in the country have been in the country. And when they have been in the country, they have been in the country. So, the country has been in the country. In the school, I was born as a teacher, and when I was a teacher, I got a teacher, and I was a teacher. And I came to the school and I got a teacher, because my teacher was so beautiful, and I was a teacher. We ask you the different people, who want to know about the Russian army, that we want to have a change in history. I don't think we can do it. We don't get into it, we don't give a change in history. We don't get into the spirit of our people. I didn't have the opportunity to go to that day and see what happens. And I didn't have it. I didn't say anything to like it. I didn't have the opportunity to go to that and I'm not sure what it is. I wouldn't have the opportunity to do that. I didn't have it yet. I said, she is going back to the village and I was going back to that village. The Irish Language Learner Scheme Unit in the Department of Tourism, Culture and Culture Arts, Girl Talks, Sport and Media has assessed 76% of the payment claims the Department has received from recognised Irish Colleges in relation to summer courses for 2023, and these have been forwarded to the Department's Finance Unit for payment. The unit is working on processing the remaining 15% of the payment claims that have been received in the Department. As it stands, the Department is awaiting completed paperwork from 9% of Irish Colleges yet to submit a claim for courses held during the summer of 2023. In order to avoid delays, extra staff have been made available to the unit to assist with this process. It is expected that the remainder of the claims will be processed without delay. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Girl Talks, Sport and Media provides significant assistance on an ongoing basis under the Irish Language Learner Scheme to support Irish Colleges' sector. Under the scheme, assistance worth €12 per day is paid to recognise households towards each student coming to the Girl Talks to learn Irish. Consequently, this grant indirectly reduces the fee charged by Colleges to attendees. Almost 500 Gale Tucked families benefited from the grant last year and over 25,000 students and 40 Irish Colleges benefited indirectly. The following changes have been implemented by the Department over the past year to provide support for families who provide accommodation for those attending Irish Colleges and for new families coming into the system. The start-up grant for new families or families who have left the system and want to return has been increased from €2,000 to €6,000. This is an increase of 300%. The grant paid in respect of students staying with recognised households under the Department's scheme for Irish Language Learners was increased by 20%. The maximum number of students allowed in recognised households was increased from 12% to 16%. The fund available under the DASH Girl Talks initiative has been significantly increased to provide additional opportunities by way of scholarships for DASH post-primary school attendees from all over Ireland to attend an Irish language course in the Girl Talks. The scholarship covers up to 850 euro for a three-week Girl Talks summer college course. To date this year, approximately 40 new families or households have been identified registered under the scheme. As the Department is accepting applications on a continuous basis, it is expected that more applications will be received by the end of the year. 34 families registered under the scheme in 2019 and 39 last year in 2022. This indicates that the number of new families interested in registering under the scheme is increasing. In addition to the aforementioned assistance provided for the benefit of the colleges and the sector as a whole, capital assistance is provided under the Department's Language and Community Support Programme. And many Irish language colleges have benefited from this over the years, including colleges that are in private ownership. This assistance is provided to help colleges upgrade their facilities and equipment. It goes without saying that the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Girl Talks, Sport and Media will continue to look at additional ways to further assist the sector in the future. The Department will also continue to engage with stakeholders on the issues as they may arise and remain open to feedback and engagement with stakeholders on further supporting and developing the sector. Thank you very much for joining us. And if you look at that, it gives you much delusion. Because you might end it giving it all over. You might see it that you will support and will help you in the future. But if you look at this, it will be important for you. But if you do visit it, it will be important for you. But you might have seen it. I have to say that I'm not sure if I can't do anything. I'm not sure if I can't do anything. I'm not sure if I can't do anything. I've been to Cunhael, the school of Jack Schraimson, and I think it's been a long time for a long time to have a lot of people in the world, and it's been a long time, and it's been a long time. It's been a long time for a long time, and it's been a long time. And that's how it's going to be done when it comes to the end of the day. And I don't know if that's what it's going to happen. And it's going to be a bit different. So I'm going to tell you, one more thing to say is, that you have to say, that you have to say, that you have to say, that you have to say, that you have to say, that you have to say, and I'll make sure that the points you raised are highlighted with Minister O'Donovan directly. As I stated from the outset, 76 per cent of the payment claims the Department has received for 2023 has now been processed. The Department is working on processing the remaining 15 per cent of the payment. My calculation, the old mathematics I learnt at school, that gives you 24 per cent to be processed. And twice it says this. And basically our ask is, I have a suspicion that actually, because I had the written question, it's telling me, it's that 76 have been processed, but that 15 per cent of the ones that are processed haven't yet been paid out. Thank you, Deputy. And that there are some still outstanding. So, Yes, I will inform Minister O'Donovan of that, and ask his officials to come back, or him to come back directly, to clarify that to you. But, just to say that, there are still some outstanding, and there are, as I was saying, 15 per cent of the payment claims received. The Department is also waiting on completed paperwork, from 9 per cent of the Irish Colleges. So, and when, upon receipt of these, these will be processed promptly. So, that's part of the challenges. There's still 9 per cent, of the claims the paperwork has to go in for, from the Irish Colleges. And, 9 to 15 is 24, and there's your, there's your 100 per cent. Thank you Minister. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.