Udaras na Gaeltachta's 1996 annual report shows that full-time employment in the Gaeltacht areas was at an all-time high of 7,439. The highest-ever net gain of 604 jobs, or almost 9 per cent, was generated by 1,285 jobs in new and expanding businesses. These are the highest recorded net gains since the establishment of An tUdaras in 1980.
The overall number of part-time or seasonal jobs in Udar as-assisted companies has more than doubled since 1990, rising from 1,896 to 3,877 at the end of 1996.
Prof Gearoid O Tuathaigh, chairman of Udaras na Gaeltachta, says in the introduction to the report that the specific requirements of the Gaeltacht areas can best be addressed by devolved administrative structures that are rooted in community and language needs, rather than criteria related to population or administrative convenience.
This could best be achieved by devolving powers and appropriate resources to An tUdaras, whose statutory brief provides the most suitable framework for addressing the specific needs of the Gaeltacht communities.