THE GOVERNMENT HAS announced a scholarship fund worth €50,000 to allow 50 students from Deis secondary schools to attend Irish colleges in the Gaeltacht during the summer. 

This is the first time such a scheme will be made available to students in Deis secondary schools. 

The fund is being rolled out in  in accordance with the commitment made under the Government’s Irish Language Action Plan 2018-2022, which was launched in June 2018.

The scholarships will be issued nationally by the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB) in conjunction with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Minister Kyne launched the fund at Pobalscoil Móinín na gCiseach in Galway City this afternoon. 

“As a result of this measure, 50 students, who may not have had this opportunity in the conventional way, will have an opportunity to go to the Gaeltacht and attend an Irish college for three weeks,” Minister Kyne said. 

“There certainly are requirements with this fund to afford students attending DEIS secondary schools the opportunity to attend a course in the Gaeltacht during the summer,” he said. 

“This practical measure is not only of benefit to the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht regions but it will be of benefit to society as a whole in terms of social inclusion.”