The 20 Year Strategy in the North
In January 2015, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure published the Strategy to Improve and Protect the Development of the Irish Language: 2015 – 2035. This strategy gives guidance to the Executive and lays down aims regarding the development of the Irish language in years to come.
This strategy is based on the responsibilities that the Government have accepted through the following agreements: The Good Friday Agreement 1998, St. Andrews Agreement 2006, Programme for the Government 2011-2015, The European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and The UNESCO Convention regarding the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage. The strategy aims to tackle the challenges that the Irish language faces and to promote the Irish language as a normal spoken language.
Here are the objective that are laid down in the strategy:
- To increase the amount of people who acquire the Irish language through Irish-medium education
- To increase the amount of people who are learning Irish through English-medium education
- To increase the amount of people who are learning Irish outside of the formal education system
- To support an increase in the amount of children who are being raised through Irish
- To fulfill all the obligations regarding the Irish Language under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages
- To increase access to high quality Irish language media
- To increase awareness regarding the economic and social value of the Irish language
- To gain legislative protection for the Irish language
- To develop community-based, local, sustainable and high quality initiatives
- To encourage the provision of opportunities to use the Irish language among a broad range of people, including families, social networks and community networks.
- To support the community of people who speak Irish on a daily basis
- To increase positive attitudes regarding the Irish language in all areas of the community
- To increase positive attitudes regarding the Irish language in the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist communities