merrion street

Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Joe McHugh T.D., announced at Oireachtas na Samhna in Killarney that a new version of the Geographic Information System (GIS) has been issued by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. This is the third iteration of the GIS and, for the first time, it includes Census statistics as they relate to the language planning areas as units. In addition, the 2016 Census figures have also been included.

GIS is a map viewer which provides information, in collaboration with the CSO, on the use of Irish in the various areas related to the language planning process. Before now, the information available on the GIS was based on the 2006 and 2011 Censuses and presented according to electoral division. With this new version, information as it relates to the 2016 Census is provided and presented according to Language Planning Area, Gaeltacht Service Town or Irish Language Network.

“The GIS is a remarkable facility for those involved in language planning and indeed anyone interested in the status of the Irish language around the country,” said Minister of State McHugh as he announced the third iteration of the GIS. “Not only will the significant developments to the system help those preparing and implementing language plans, but the general public will also be interested in the GIS as it relates to their own area. This latest version is easy to use and the information in relation to Irish is presented very clearly.”


Note for Editors:

The Geographic Information System (GIS) is a facility which provides information, using a map viewer, in relation to the use of Irish as it relates to
· the definition of Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas;
· towns which may be recognised as Irish Language Service Towns under the language planning process; and
· the use of Irish in the Irish Language Networks recognised under the process.

In the new version of the map viewer information is provided - in collaboration with the CSO - according to Gaeltacht language planning areas as they relate to the results of the 2011 and 2016 Censuses as well as details on the use of Irish in towns which might be recognised under the process as Gaeltacht Service Towns, together with details on the use of Irish in the Irish Language Networks recognised under the process.

In addition to details relating to the use of Irish in these areas, information is also provided, in collaboration with the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs respectively, on the location and rolls of primary and post-primary schools for the 2016/17 school year, as well as details pertaining to the early education sector in the Gaeltacht.

The map viewer (GIS) can be accessed on the Department’s website at: https://dahg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7090794ee2ca4b53bb785b84c2bd9ad8