Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Finance to detail what has been done by his Department to match the extra funding required for Foras na Gaeilge.
Minister of Finance: It is the responsibility of sponsor departments, both North and South, to jointly develop and agree budgets for Foras na Gaeilge. The agreed provision for the relevant contributions North and South respectively will be funded from the budget of the Sponsor Department in the relevant jurisdiction. On this basis, responsibility for funding for Foras na Gaeilge is primarily a matter for the Minister for Communities.
My predecessor, Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald sought to bring forward alternative funding proposals for North South bodies, including Foras na Gaeilge. These proposals require Executive agreement. My officials have also met with the North Sount Ministerial Council to discuss the funding of the body, and a scoping exercise is progressing to examine and address the issues being faced. My officials and Department for Communities officials are working closely on these matters.
I also met with the Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform, Jack Chambers, on 4 March where we discussed efforts being taken forward in this area.
ENDS
Your MLA 