A growing shortage of Bean an Tí’s could spell the end of Gaeltacht summer camps for secondary school students.

Numbers declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have yet to recover.

Principal Ruairí Ó Donnáin said there are multiple factors contributing to the issue.

“There’s a mixture of problems, one issue being that a lot of houses, certainly in our own area, maybe can’t do it now compared to when they would have done it due to having to go and take up work as a result of COVID,” he told Lunchtime Live.

“Now they aren’t necessarily free and available during the summer to keep students.

“I think another part of it is the responsibility and stuff that Mná an Tí [plural of Bean an Tí] have now.

“In terms of phones, in terms of the responsibilities that young people now have in terms of food and in terms of their own maybe medical issues and problems as well.”

Mr Ó Donnáin also said that as the housing crisis continues, “that next generation isn’t coming through to keep on that tradition of keeping students”.

An Ghaeltacht sign. Achill Island, County Mayo, Connaught, Ireland.

However, Bean an Tí Bríd, who is based in Waterford, said that from her perspective, it is falling student numbers that are making the role less appealing.

“I’ve been full even since the pandemic and for some reason this year, I only had people for Cúrsa A, for two weeks,” she said.

“So, I don’t know if it’s a lack of Bean an Tí’s or if it’s older people not being in it or whatever, but I definitely saw a decrease this summer.

“I normally only do Cúrsa A and Cúrsa B; with the results [this year], I’m coming to the conclusion that I’ll only be making myself available for Cúrsa A next year.”

Bríd agreed with Mr Ó Donnáin that “definitely houses have to be built if we’re to keep [the Gaeltacht] alive”.

Main image: Sign in Irish language welcoming visitors to the gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) part of county Meath in Ireland. Image: Alamy