County councillors, TDs, senators, or MEPs will not be allowed to be board members of Údarás na Gaeltachta under new changes.
The Government has approved the preparation of legislation to give effect to a new approach of appointing the Údarás board.
An election process will replace the current nomination system that’s been in place for the last ten years.
The Government is to bring forward legislation to give effect to these changes, which will begin in 2025.
The board of Údarás na Gaeltachta will then consist of 16 members, instead of the current 12.
In place of seven members currently nominated by councils with a Gaeltacht region, including Kerry, ten members will be elected on behalf of Gaeltacht areas.
Kerry will have one member, so too will Cork, Waterford, Mayo, and Meath; while Galway will have three, and Donegal, two.
A further six members will be appointed to the Údarás board through a public competition.
(In keeping with the current approach, the Minister will appoint the chairperson of the board.)
There’s a number of criteria when it comes to appointments.
County or city councillors, TDs, senators, or MEPs, will not be allowed to be board members of Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Candidates seeking election must show they permanently reside in a Gaeltacht area within the county they’re seeking election.
All candidates must have a minimum standard of B2 in Irish in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which is an international standard for describing language ability.
No future member will be allowed to spend more than two terms in total on the Údarás board.
