In this week’s column Sabrina Sweeney talks about the Gaeltacht housing situation and how if younger Irish speakers cannot continue living in Gaeltacht communities, the language becomes increasingly difficult to sustain.
Difficulties securing housing are now a common reality for many people across Ireland.
But new research carried out by Údarás na Gaeltachta points to a particular frustration in Gaeltacht communities that goes beyond the wider housing crisis.
For many people who grew up in the Gaeltacht, or with strong family and language connections there, the issue is not only about finding a house. It’s about being able to live in a community where Irish is spoken and lived. The Údarás survey adds weight to concerns raised in recent years.
Last September, thousands took part in CEARTA, the national protest for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht in Dublin, where housing was among the key issues highlighted. More recently, campaigners again gathered outside Leinster House to warn that the housing crisis in Gaeltacht areas is threatening the future of Irish as a living community language.
The message has been consistent: if younger Irish speakers cannot continue living in Gaeltacht communities, the language becomes increasingly difficult to sustain.
The survey, completed by 351 people, found that more than half of respondents were under 44, while the majority had strong Gaeltacht connections and described themselves as fluent or native Irish speakers.
Many respondents were educated, working and actively trying to build a life in the Gaeltacht.
Yet significant numbers were still living with family or renting, while others were unable to find homes to buy or rent.
One of the more revealing findings was that 67 per cent of respondents said they would be willing to commute up to an hour from work in order to continue living there, suggesting people are prepared to adapt their lives if it allows them to remain connected to their community and language.
A large number also expressed a desire to build within the Gaeltacht itself.
Planning, however, remains a long-running issue. For several years there have been calls for policies that better recognise the needs of Irish-speaking communities and make it easier for people with strong local and language connections to remain living there.
Government has acknowledged the issue and changes to planning guidance have been discussed for some time. But frustrations remain around delays and whether the proposals will go far enough for younger families hoping to build within their own communities.
Discussions around the Irish language often focus on education, funding and cultural initiatives. But the survival of Irish goes deeper than that. It’s nourished through stories, customs, humour, place names, traditions and the way things are passed between generations.
A similar point was made recently in the Irish News following a visit to west Belfast by psychiatrist Dr Pat Bracken. Reflecting on his talk, the paper described Irish as something far more than a language to be learned. It’s also about connection, belonging and identity. That’s why housing in the Gaeltacht cannot simply be viewed as another rural infrastructure issue.
Certainly, there’s no simple solution. Rural housing brings its own difficulties, from planning and construction costs to shortages of tradespeople and limited rental supply. But there’s understandable frustration when people can point to vacant or derelict homes in their own communities while younger families struggle to find somewhere to live nearby.
Many people across Donegal will know houses that have been empty for years. Some are tied up in inheritance issues or uncertainty around ownership. Others require extensive structural work, while defective block concerns create additional complications in parts of the county.
So it’s not as straightforward as saying every vacant property can quickly become a home. Still, the gap between visible vacancy and housing demand is difficult to ignore.
Earlier this year, Údarás announced a dedicated vacant homes role aimed at helping bring more empty properties back into use in Gaeltacht areas, acknowledging the shortage of affordable housing facing many communities.
Schemes such as the Croí Cónaithe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant have also helped bring some older homes back into use.
But concerns remain that significant upfront funding is still required before grant money is paid, leaving the scheme out of reach for some younger applicants.
When considering the Údarás survey in its entirety, what continues to stand out is that the desire to remain living in the Gaeltacht is clearly there. The question is whether housing policy is moving quickly enough, or practically enough, to make that a reality.