Galway makes change to housing scheme for the benefit of Gaeltacht communities

Galway’s Gaeltacht communities will benefit from a new change to the county’s Housing Allocation Scheme.

The change will allow local authority tenants – who are originally from the Gaeltacht and have accepted a tenancy outside of it – to apply for a transfer to return to the Gaeltacht.

Galway County Council has introduced the amendment to address population decline and strengthen the Irish language within Gaeltacht areas.

It was approved at this week’s meeting of the county council, having initially been suggested at a meeting in Carna, and will be implemented next month.

Connemara Councillor Eileen Mannion spoke to our reporter about how the process will work: