November 2015 NUI Galway Welcomes Support For University Education Through Irish

NUI Galway welcomes the decision of the Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs, Joe McHugh TD, to sanction a grant of €2.7 million for Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge.

This support will assist the provision of academic and educational programmes in the University’s Centres in the Gaeltacht.

A yearly allocation of €900,000 will be sanctioned by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht during the period 2015-2018 in addition to specific support for University education through Irish from the Higher Education Authority.

NUI Galway operates three centres in the Gaeltacht, located in Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal and in Carna and An Cheathrú Rua in Co. Galway.

Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge provides undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Applied Irish, Translation Studies, Communications and Information Technology in the Gaeltacht Centres and on the University’s campus in Galway.

The University’s strategic objectives for the Irish language between now and 2018 include:

• The provision of first class language acquisition programmes to ensure that advanced language competence is recognised as a graduate attribute for NUI Galway students.
• The introduction of a structured Gaeltacht Semester and Student Placement programme by 2016 to assist NUI Galway students to acquire and use the Irish language as part of their degrees.
• Becoming the primary national centre for Language Immersion Programmes for Student Teachers through the full utilisation of the University’s Centres in the Gaeltacht.

The Registrar and Deputy President of NUI Galway, Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, welcomed the funding decision: “I warmly welcome the decision of Minister of State, Joe Mc Hugh. We want to ensure that NUI Galway graduates have excellent Irish language competence and this support shall provide a level of planning certainty as we implement the University’s Irish language strategy between now and 2018.”

CEO of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, Dónall Ó Braonáin, also welcomed the funding: “This is significant and important support for the University, especially as we begin to offer the Gaeltacht Semester Programme which will be available across all of our Gaeltacht Centres in time. The Gaeltacht Placement Programmes for Student Teachers have clearly demonstrated the academic advantage of immersion language programmes in the Gaeltacht.”

For further information on Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge visit: http://www.nuigalway.ie/acadamh/

ENDS

FÁILTÍONN OÉ GAILLIMH ROIMH THACAÍOCHT DON OLLSCOLAÍOCHT GHAEILGE

Cuireann Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, fáilte roimh chinneadh Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta, Joe McHugh TD, soláthar €2.7 milliún a chur ar fáil d’Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge.

Bainfidh an soláthar seo le gníomhaíochtaí oideachais agus léinn a reáchtáil in Ionaid OÉ Gaillimh sa Ghaeltacht.

Íocfar allúntas bliantúil de €900,000 ón Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta leis an Ollscoil le linn na tréimhse 2015-2018 de bhreis ar shaintacaíocht don Ollscolaíocht Ghaeilge ón Údarás um Ardoideachas.

Tá trí Ionad ag an Ollscoil sa Ghaeltacht agus iad lonnaithe i nGaoth Dobhair, Contae Dhún na nGall agus i gCarna agus ar an gCeathrú Rua i gContae na Gaillimhe.

Cuireann Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge cúrsaí léinn fochéime agus iarchéime sa Ghaeilge Fheidhmeach, i Léann an Aistriúcháin agus na hAteangaireachta, sa Chumarsáid agus sa Teicneolaíocht Faisnéise ar fáil sna hIonaid Ghaeltachta agus ar champas na hOllscoile i nGaillimh.

I measc na gcuspóirí straitéiseacha atá ag OÉ Gaillimh don Ghaeilge idir seo agus 2018, tá:

• Cláir sealbhaithe teanga barr feabhais a chur ar fáil le go mbeidh inniúlacht den scoth sa Ghaeilge ina príomhthréith ag céimithe OÉ Gaillimh;
• Clár struchtúrtha do sheimeastar Gaeltachta agus do shocrúchan oibre a chur ar fáil faoin mbliain 2016 le go mbeadh deiseanna sealbhaithe agus úsáide teanga ag mic léinn OÉ Gaillimh;
• Leas a bhaint as Ionaid na hOllscoile sa Ghaeltacht le go mbeidh OÉ Gaillimh ar an bpríomhionad do Thumchláir Theanga in Oideachas Tosaigh Múinteoirí go náisiúnta.

D’fháiltigh Meabhránaí agus Uachtarán Ionaid na hOllscoile, an tOllamh Pól Ó Dochartaigh roimh an gcinneadh maoinithe: “Fáiltím go mór roimh chinneadh an Aire Stáit, Joe Mc Hugh. Is mian linn go mbeidh céimithe Gaeilge den scoth ag OÉ Gaillimh agus bhéarfaidh an tacaíocht seo cinnteacht phleanála dúinn agus feidhm á tabhairt againn do Straitéis na hOllscoile don Ghaeilge as seo go 2018.”

Dúirt Príomhfheidhmeannach Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, Dónall Ó Braonáin: “Tacaíocht shuntasach, thábhachtach í seo don Ollscoil, go mór mór agus tús á chur againn le Seimeastar Gaeltachta a bheidh á thairiscint sna hIonaid Ghaeltachta ar fad in imeacht aimsire. Léiríonn na Tréimhsí Foghlama Gaeltachta d’Ábhar Oidí cén buntáiste acadúil a bhaineann le tumchláir sealbhaithe teanga sa Ghaeltacht.”

CRÍOCH