Gaeltacht study gives insight into gaps in education
There is a wide gap in overall levels of education between those residing in the Gaeltacht and the State average, a new study has found.
The detailed study on the demographic, social and economic characteristics of the seven Gaeltacht areas in Ireland, funded by Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh and the Irish Research Council was launched in Killarney, Co Kerry, yesterday.
It found that as of 2016, 17% of those residing in the Gaeltacht had a highest level of education attainment classed as ‘No Formal or Primary only’, compared to a State average of 12.5%.
The report was compiled based on the work on AIRO, the All-Island Research Observatory at Maynooth University, and the Central Statistics Office.
Mr Ó Céidigh said: “The overarching objective is to effectively enhance the development of Gaeltacht regions and people living in those communities.
“The report is a socio-economic evidence baseline that provides a very detailed profile, both comparative and individual, of the seven Gaeltacht Areas in Ireland and associated Limistéar Pleanála Teanga (LPTs), or Language Planning Areas.
“The level of detail within will enable community groups, researchers, planners and policy makers to firmly place robust, accurate and authoritative data at the foundation of all future decision making and funding applications.”
Director of the Irish Research Council, Peter Brown, said the core of the council’s work is “enabling a wide range of stakeholders in society to benefit from the work of Ireland’s research community”.
“The expertise of the AIRO, applied to the rich data sets on Gaeltacht communities that is now available, has produced new understandings and insights that the council hopes will be harnessed to the full by all interested parties.”
