Tá díomá léirithe ag Fóram na nÓg maidir leis an laghdú suntasach a rinneadh ar mhaoiniú Scéim na nImeachtaí Óige 2016 – 2017 agus a d’fhógair Foras na Gaeilge le déanaí.  Ba chóir go mbeadh sé de chumas ag Foras na Gaeilge an obair phobail thábhachtach seo a mhaoiniú mar is ceart le tacú le grúpaí áitiúla atá ag cur deiseanna úsáidte Gaeilge ar fáil do Ghaeilgeoirí óga.

Dúirt Aoife Nic Chollam, Oifigeach Forbartha Óige le Fóram na nÓg:

“Oibríonn Fóram na nÓg go dlúth le cuid de na grúpaí a chaill amach i mbliana mar gheall ar an laghdú súntasach airgid.  Déanann na clubanna seo obair mhór le Gaeilgeoirí óga ina gceantar, agus braitheann siad ar an mhaoiniú seo le himeachtaí a reáchtáil.  Is mór an trua go mbeidh grúpaí ag streachailt anois clár imeachtaí a chur ar fáil anois agus tá seans ann nach mbeadh siad in ann é sin a dhéanamh, cailliúint mhór do na pobail ina bhfuil siad lonnaithe.”

Tacaíonn Scéim na nImeachtaí Óige de chuid Fhoras na Gaeilge le grúpaí pobail chun deiseanna úsáide Gaeilge a chur ar fáil do dhaoine óga idir 3 bliana agus 18 mbliana d’aois, á spreagadh leis an teanga a úsáid i mbealach spraíúil lasmuigh den scoil. Ceadaíodh 74 tionscadal arbh fhiú €322,361 iad faoi Scéim na nImeachtaí Óige 2015 – 2016 anuraidh, ach ní fhéadfadh Foras na Gaeilge ach deontais do 41 tionscadal ar luach €182,876 ina iomláine a cheadú don bhliain 2016 – 2017 toisc ciorraithe leanúnacha agus laghdú beagnach 40% ar ollbhuiséad an Fhorais le deich mbliana anuas, nuair a thógtar boilsciú san áireamh.

Dúirt Ursula Ní Shabhaois, Ball Coiste le Fóram na nÓg:

“Tá daoine óga i bpobal na Gaeilge anois ag fulaingt mar gheall ar na ciorraithe a rinneadh ar mhaoiniúFhoras na Gaeilge.  Tá ról rí-thábhachtach ag an obair óige agus ag imeachtaí do dhaoine óga trí chéile i dtaca le forbairt phobal na Gaeilge agus forbairt phearsanta na ndaoine óga seo.  Beidh ganntanas airgid agus acmhainní ag cuid mhór clubanna óige Gaeilge anois agus beidh sé fíor-dheacair orthu seirbhísí a chur ar fáil do Ghaeilgeoirí óga mar a bhí.”

Iarrann Fóram na nÓg orthu siúd le freagracht ar bhúisead teoranta phobal na Gaeilge, príoracht a dhéanamh do dhaoine óga s’againn agus an gearrghá le hachmhainní cuí a sholathar don earnáil óige Gaeilge a aithint.

Críoch.

Fóram na nÓg has shown disappointment at the substantial reduction in funding for the Youth Events Scheme 2016-2017 that were recently announced by Fóram na nÓg.  Foras na Gaeilge should be in a position to fund this important community work to support local groups to provide opportunities for young Irish speakers to use and improve their Irish.

Aoife  Nic Chollam, Youth Development Officer with Fóram na nÓg said:

“Fóram na nÓg works closely with some of those groups who lost out on funding this year because of the substantial decrease in funding.  These groups do a great deal of work with young Irish speakers in their areas, and they depend on this funding to run these events.  This is a real blow to these groups who are now going to struggle to provide these activities and there’s a very real chance that they won’t be able to do this, which would be a great loss to the communities where they are based.”

Ursula Ní Shabhaois, Committee Member of Fóram na nÓg said:

“Young people in the Irish language community are now suffering because of the cuts made to Foras na Gaeilge funding.  Youth work and events for young people in general have a very important role in relation to the development of the Irish language community and in the personal development of these young people.  Many Irish-medium clubs will now lack money and resources and it will be very difficult for them to provide services as they have done in the past.”

Fóram na nÓg asks that those with responsibility for limited budgets within the Irish language community make our young people a priority and recognise that there is an urgent need to provide sufficient resources to the Irish-medium youth sector.