THE North’s Irish language bursary scheme has opened for applications for 2019.
The Department for Communities’ (DfC) Liofa Gaeltacht Bursary Scheme provides funding to allow 100 people a year to attend Irish language classes in the Donegal gaeltacht.
Costing around £50,000 each year, the scheme was controversially axed in December 2016 by DfC minister Paul Givan.
The move was cited by Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness as one of the reasons he quitas deputy first minister, collapsing Stormont the following month.
Mr Givan later reinstated the scheme, stating he did not want it to be used as a “political weapon” by Sinn Fein.
Since the scheme was launched in 2012, 1,984 applications have been received by DfC and 675 bursaries have been awarded.
It is open to students in the North of Ireland who are in receipt of a means-tested benefit, or adult learners in receipt of certain benefits.
Demand for the bursary is high, so preference is given to those who have not previously received a bursary and meet the qualifying criteria.
Application forms for the scheme, which closes on March 5, can be downloaded from the Liofa website at: www.liofa.eu or by contacting Líofa directly on 028 9051 5058.
