Tá móramh soiléir sa dá dhlínse anois i bhfabhar na Gaeilge

Posted on: 20 May 2026

Ag ócáid in Óstán Buswell’s sheol an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, An Suirbhé ar Dhearcthaí i leith na Gaeilge, 2025: Cumas, Úsáid agus Dearcthaí ar Oileán na hÉireann.

Noel Ó Murchadha, Scoil an Oideachais,  agus Colin J. Flynn, Scoil na nEolaíochtaí Teangeolaíochta, Urlabhra agus Cumarsáide i gColáiste na Tríonóide, a rinne an staidéar i gcomhar le Ipsos B&A. Foras na Gaeilge a choimisiúnaigh an staidéar le maoiniú ón Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta le linn shamhradh 2025.

Tá an foilseachán seo ar an tuarascáil is déanaí sa tsraith taighde is seanbhunaithe ar dhearcthaí an phobail ar oileán na hÉireann i leith na Gaeilge. Cuireann an taighde seo léargas uathúil agus mionsonraithe ar fáil ar dhearcthaí reatha an phobail agus ar chumas teanga ar oileán na hÉireann.  San iomlán, earcaíodh 1,000 rannpháirtí fásta in PÉ agus 498 rannpháirtí fásta in TÉ. 

Dr Noel Ó Murchadha, Seán Ó Coinn, an tAire Dara Calleary, Regina Uí Chollatáin, agus Colin J Flynn

I measc na bpríomhthorthaí:

• Tá móramh soiléir sa dá dhlínse anois i bhfabhar na Gaeilge (78% PÉ agus 55% TÉ)
• Tá úsáid laethúil na Gaeilge níos airde ná mar a tuairiscíodh in 2013: (3% níos airde in PÉ agus 6% níos airde in TÉ) agus tá an Ghaeilge á labhairt níos minice i gCúige Mumhan, i gCúige Chonnacht agus i gCúige Uladh, ná in áiteanna eile sa tír.
• Is iad daoine 18-24 bliain d’aois an t-aoisghrúpa is mó i measc cainteoirí rialta sa dá dhlínse
• Todhchaí dhátheangach is ea an rogha is coitianta a roghnaigh freagróirí: le Béarla mar phríomhtheanga, agus tacaíocht do níos mó béime ar an nGaeilge (55% in PÉ agus 44% in TÉ)
• Tá an tacaíocht don Ghaelscolaíocht agus do mhúineadh na Gaeilge níos airde ná mar a tuairiscíodh sna suirbhéanna roimhe seo
• Tá freasúra don Ghaeilge níos ísle sa dá chuid den oileán i gcomparáid le torthaí a tuairiscíodh i suirbhéanna roimhe seo. Ba é tuairim an tromlaigh (60%) i measc freagróirí i dTuaisceart Éireann a bhfuil féiniúlacht Bhriotanach acu, agus ar bhonn ginearálta, a bhfuil féiniúlacht Phrotastúnach acu, nach bhfuil ‘tuairim faoi leith ar bith” acu faoin nGaeilge
• Tá cumas féintuairiscthe in PÉ níos ísle ná mar a tuairiscíodh in 2013, le níos mó freagróirí ag tuairisciú deacrachtaí measta leis an teanga. Ach tá bunchumas in TÉ níos airde ná mar a tuairiscíodh in 2013.

Arsa an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD: "Tá lúcháir orm an suirbhé seo a sheoladh inniu. Cuireann an saothar taighde seo eolas criticiúil ar fáil dúinn, idir dhearfach agus dhiúltach, agus beidh torthaí an tsuirbhé seo ina fhoinse luachmhar eolais agus fianaise do mo Roinn, d’Fhoras na Gaeilge, dár gcomhpháirtithe sa Roinn Pobal i dTuaisceart Éireann, agus d’eagraíochtaí eile Gaeilge agus muid ag pleanáil don Ghaeilge sna 10 mbliana atá amach romhainn. Beidh na torthaí ina bhfoinse luachmhar freisin agus an chéad straitéis Rialtais eile á forbairt nuair a thiocfaidh deireadh leis an Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge in 2030."

Arsa Noel Ó Murchadha, Ollamh Comhlach é san Oideachas Teanga i Scoil an Oideachais, Coláiste na Tríonóide: "Tá an suirbhé seo ar an nGaeilge ar an gceann is déanaí i sraith suirbhéanna ar cuireadh tús léi sna 1970í agus is féidir torthaí an tsuirbhé reatha a thuiscint sa chomhthéacs sin. Ábhar suntais iad roinnt de na torthaí sa tuarascáil, go háirithe an tacaíocht shubstaintiúil don Ghaeilge i gcoitinne agus do bheartais stáit ar son na teanga. Cuireann an tuarascáil bonn láidir eolais ar fáil do lucht déanta beartas i bPoblacht na hÉireann agus i dTuaisceart Éireann araon ag am cinniúnach i stair na teanga."

Arsa Colin J. Flynn, Ollamh Cúnta sa Teangeolaíocht Fheidhmeach é i Scoil na nEolaíochtaí Teangeolaíochta, Urlabhra agus Cumarsáide i gColáiste na Tríonóide: "Sa suirbhé is déanaí seo, thuairiscigh beagnach leath (49%) de dhaoine fásta in Éirinn go raibh bunlíofacht ar a laghad acu i labhairt na Gaeilge, agus léirigh duine as gach deichniúr (10%) ardlíofacht sa teanga. I dTuaisceart Éireann, thuairiscigh 21% go raibh ar a laghad bunlíofacht acu sa teanga, agus léirigh 2% ardlíofacht . Ar an iomlán, bhí dearcaí i leith na Gaeilge dearfach sa dá dhlínse, agus léirigh tromlach na ndaoine tacaíocht don teanga. In Éirinn, thuairiscigh 78% de na freagróirí, agus i dTuaisceart Éireann, 55%, go raibh siad i bhfabhar na Gaeilge."

Arsa Príomhfheidhmeannach Fhoras na Gaeilge, Seán ó Coinn: "Ar an iomlán léiríonn an taighde seo bonn láidir tacaíochta don Ghaeilge ar fud an oileáin, agus beidh Foras na Gaeilge ag obair go dlúth lenár gcomhpháirtithe sa dá rialtas agus leis na Ceanneagraíochtaí Gaeilge leis an phróiseas seo a neartú, agus le leathnú a dhéanamh ar úsáid laethúil na teanga, agus ar dheiseanna le Gaeilge a fhoghlaim agus a fheabhsú.

"Tugann an taighde léargas dearfach ar thuairimí an phobail i leith na Gaeilge ó dheas agus i measc freagróirí a bhfuil féiniúlacht Bhriotanach acu sa Tuaisceart – grúpa go ginearálta a bhfuil féiniúlacht Phrotastúnach, Aontachtach agus Dhílseach acu. Toradh dearfach a bhfuil feabhas mór air ó shuirbhé 2013.

"Mar sin féin tá dúshláin romhainn ó dheas: Thug 50% de fhreagróirí ó dheas agus iad ag meas a gcuid Gaeilge féin, le fios gur beag a gcumas nó go bhfuil siad gan chumas sa Ghaeilge, toradh atá ina ábhar imní agus atá 7% níos airde ná mar a tuairiscíodh in 2013. Léiríonn sé seo gá práinneach leis na torthaí foghlama don Ghaeilge inár scoileanna a fheabhsú."

 A clear majority in both jurisdictions are now in favour of the Irish language

Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD has launched The Irish Language Attitudes Survey, 2025: Ability, Use and Attitudes on the Island of Ireland.

The study was conducted by Noel Ó Murchadha, School of Education, and Colin J. Flynn, School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Science, Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with Ipsos B&A. It  was commissioned by Foras na Gaeilge with funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht during summer 2025.

The publication is the latest in the longest running major survey series on attitudes regarding the Irish language on the island of Ireland. The study gives a unique and detailed insight into current attitudes and information about language ability on the island of Ireland.  In total, 1,000 adult participants were recruited in ROI and 498 adult participants were recruited in NI.

Key findings highlight:

• A majority in both jurisdictions now supports the Irish language (78% ROI and 55% NI)
• Everyday use is higher than reported in 2013: (by 3% in ROI and by 6% in NI) with people speaking Irish more frequently in Munster, Connaught and Ulster, than in other areas of the country
• 18–24-year-olds are the largest age cohort among regular speakers in both jurisdictions
• The preferred future is bilingual: With English as the main language, and support for greater prominence of Irish (55% in ROI and 44% in NI)
• Support for Irish medium education and the teaching of the Irish language is higher than reported in previous iterations of the survey
• Opposition towards the Irish language is lower in both parts of the island in comparison with results reported for previous surveys. The majority position (60%) among respondents in Northern Ireland who identify as British, and who generally identify as Protestant, is to have no particular feelings towards Irish.
• Self-reported ability in ROI is lower than was reported in 2013, with more respondents reporting perceived difficulty with the language. However basic ability in NI is higher than was reported in in 2013.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD said: "I am delighted to launch this survey today. This research provides us with critical information, both positive and negative, and the survey results will be a valuable source of information and evidence for my Department, for Foras na Gaeilge, for our partners in the Department of Communities in Northern Ireland, and for Irish-language organisations as we plan for the Irish language over the next 10 years. These results will also be a valuable resource in developing the next Government strategy as the current 20 year strategy for the Irish language comes to a close in 2030." 

Noel Ó Murchadha, Associate Professor in Language Education in the School of Education School of Education, Trinity, said: “This survey on the Irish language is the latest in a series that dates back to the 1970s and the results of the current survey are set against that backdrop. There are some remarkable results in the current report, particularly with respect to substantial levels of support for Irish and for state policy interventions in support of the language. The report provides a significant knowledge base for Irish-language policymakers in both the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland at a pivotal time in the trajectory of the language.”

Colin J. Flynn, Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics in the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Science, Trinity, said:  "In this latest survey nearly half (49%) of adults in ROI reported at least basic fluency in speaking the language, while one in ten (10%) indicated advanced fluency in Irish. In NI, 21% reported at least basic fluency in the language, and 2% indicated advanced fluency. Overall, attitudes towards Irish were largely positive in both jurisdictions, with majorities expressing support for the language. In ROI 78% of respondents, and in NI 55%, reported being in favour of Irish."

Foras na Gaeilge CEO, Seán Ó Coinn said: "Overall, this research demonstrates a strong base of support for the Irish language across the island, and Foras na Gaeilge will be working closely with our partners in both governments and the Irish-language Lead-Organisations to strengthen this progress, and to expand the daily use of the language, and opportunities to learn and improve Irish.

"The research shows a positive snapshot of public attitudes towards the Irish language in the South and among respondents who identify as British in the North – a group that generally identify with the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist community. A positive finding that has improved significantly since the 2013 survey.

"However, we have challenges to face in the South: 50% of respondents in the South self-assessed themselves as having little to no ability in Irish, a concerning finding that is 7% higher than reported in 2013. This reflects an urgent need to improve the learning outcomes for Irish in our schools."

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