IRISH language summer courses in the Gaeltacht attended by thousands of teenagers from Derry and across the North of Ireland have been cancelled.
The decision by the Republic’s Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (DCHG) is due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
There are 42 Gaeltacht summer colleges, including many across the border in Donegal.
Students normally spend up to three weeks immersing themselves in the language and living with local families.
About 27,000 students attend courses at the colleges each year – including thousands from Northern Ireland.
About 700 households provide accommodation for them every summer.
The Department for Communities in the North of Ireland also provides around £55,000 in bursaries each year to enable people to learn Irish in the Gaeltacht through its Líofa scheme.
Class prices at the colleges vary from around £300 for one week to around £600 for a full three-week immersion course.
In a statement, DCHG said that the decision to cancel all summer courses had been taken following consultation with health authorities.
“It is recognised that this is an unusual, uncertain and challenging period and that this decision is a major blow to Gaeltacht areas and to the many thousands of students who had looked forward to attending courses over the summer,” it said.
“The health of our communities is the priority, however, and everybody has a role to play in the efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19.”
In response, the Irish language organisation Conradh na Gaeilge (CnaG) has called for financial support for the Gaeltacht, the colleges and the families who house students.
The president of CnG, Dr Niall Comer, said the cancellation was a “huge blow” to Gaeltacht areas.
“It is more important than ever that the government sets up a compensation scheme,” he said.
CnaG’s deputy secretary general Peadar Mac Fhlannchadha said the decision would have major implications for the Gaeltacht.
“The summer colleges will now be under great pressure in terms of refund of deposits, in organising 2021 courses and in encouraging accommodation and scholars for next year,” he said.
“Colleges themselves have large ongoing bills and rely on summer course fees to cover the buildings and other costs, such as insurance, all year round.
“If these colleges are to continue into 2021 and into the future they will need serious support now.”
CnaG is planning to meet the Gaeltacht minister Seán Kyne to discuss the problems caused by the cancellation on Wednesday.
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