Proposals by task force undermine Udaras role

The Bord of Udaras na Gaeltachta has expressed concern that its role as the main development authority in the Gaeltacht area may be undermined by proposals from the Government's Inter-Departmental Taskforce for Local Development.

The task force which is advising on the integration of a number of State job-creation agencies at local level, has presented an interim report which envisages that county development boards would be the best placed to integrate local development opportunities and co-ordinate the efforts of State-agencies.

The report was a particular shock to the Udaras board which has been the main facilitator in this area for some 20 years. It pointed out that the Gaeltacht extended over seven counties and the Udaras brief included the promotion of cultural and language initiatives as part of its activities.

Udaras initially expressed its surprise at the proposals at a board meeting in June in which guidelines suggested by the task force were discussed. After the meeting Mr Padraig O hAolain, ceannaire Eolais of Udaras, described the task force approach to Udaras as vague and ambiguous.

"Given the fact that the Gaeltacht is spread over seven different counties, it is the board's opinion that the most appropriate approach to creating a cohesive development plan for the Gaeltacht would be to recognise Udaras na Gaeltachta as the County Development Board for the Gaeltacht as a whole," he said.

Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Mr O hAolain said the "absence of a specific development board to address gaeltacht economic, social and cultural development needs as part of the overall integration process would fragment rather than integrate development of the Gaeltacht as a whole."

The board of Udaras has now decided to submit a number of proposals to the task force. These include:

Udaras na Gaeltachta to nominate two members to each county development board;

a committee be established in all of the seven counties where there is a Gaeltacht. These committees would be a mechanism for Gaeltacht-specific input into the development strategy for each county and for appropriate policy responses to the particular ethos of those areas

Udaras na Gaeltachta rather than the county development boards have responsibility for any development schemes or community development programmes to be administered in the Gaeltacht areas.