Údarás na Gaeltachta abbreviated ÚnaG, is a regional state agency which is responsible for the economic

Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

, social

Social

The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...

 and cultural

Culture

Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...

 development of nominally Irish

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

-speaking (Gaeltacht

Gaeltacht

is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...

) regions of the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. Its stated purpose is to strengthen the Gaeltacht communities, to increase the quality of life of its community members and facilitate the preservation and extension of the Irish language as the principal language of the region. ÚnaG is run by a board; a unique feature of Údarás na Gaeltachta is that seventeen members of this 20-member board are directly elected from constituencies in Gaeltacht areas. This is in contrast to every other state-sponsored body in Ireland, where the board members are appointed directly by the relevant Minister with the result that most are political party members.

It was originally established in 1980 under the Údarás na Gaeltachta Act, 1979, superseding its predecessor Gaeltarra Éireann

Gaeltarra Éireann

Gaeltarra Éireann was an Irish state industrial development agency set up in 1957 specifically for the Gaeltacht, the Irish speaking areas of Ireland...

 which had been established in 1957 under the Gaeltacht Industries Act of the same year.

It has a strong role in attracting enterprise into Gaeltacht areas, many of which are isolated and economically disadvantaged. The European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 grant-aid is often provided to indigenous startup companies. They are also involved in the setting up of community co-operatives and employment schemes.

The current chairman of Údarás na Gaeltachta is Liam Ó Cuinneagáin

Liam Ó Cuinneagáin

Liam Ó Cuinneagáin is chairperson of Údarás na Gaeltachta, where he represents Donegal.He was re-elected Cathaoirleach of Udarás in 2005 for a 5-year period.Ó Cuinneagáin trained as a teacher in St. Patrick's College in Drumcondra, Dublin....

 from Glencolmcille

Glencolmcille

Gleann Cholm Cille is a coastal town in the southwest Gaeltacht of County Donegal, Ireland...

 who is director of the Oideas Gael

Oideas Gael

Oideas Gael is an Irish language cultural centre in Glencolmcille, Co. Donegal. It was founded in 1984. One of the founders of Oideas Gael, and its current Language Director, is Liam Ó Cuinneagáin, the current chairman of Údarás na Gaeltachta.-External links:...

 cultural centre and language school there.

The head office of the Údarás is in Furbo

Furbo, County Galway

Na Forbacha is a settlement with a population of around 800 in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It lies along the coast between Barna and Spiddal. It is a Gaeltacht area where Irish is the main language used in the school, church and at community meetings. The figure for those who self-report as...

, County Galway

County Galway

County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...

, with regional offices in Dingle

Dingle

Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....

, Co. Kerry

County Kerry

Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

; Ballymakeera

Ballymakeera

Baile Mhic Íre is a small Gaeltacht village in the valley of the River Sullane in County Cork, Ireland. It is on the N22 national primary road and forms part of the twin villages of Ballymakeery and Ballyvourney...

, Co. Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

; Derrybeg

Derrybeg

Doirí Beaga is a Gaeltacht village and townland in the civil parish of Tullaghobegly in County Donegal, Ireland. It includes a Roman Catholic church, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta regional studios, a Gaelic Athletic Association club and a golf club.-References:...

, Co. Donegal

County Donegal

County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

; and Belmullet

Belmullet

Belmullet is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of around 2,000 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. Its name means the "mouth of the mullet"...

, Co. Mayo

County Mayo

County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...

.