The Committee on the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community is both a select committee and a joint committee in Dáil Éireann which is working to make Bunreacht na hÉireann’s designation of the Irish language as the State’s first official language a reality.
The committee shadows the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. The select committee reviews bills, estimates, and other matters referred to it by Dáil Éireann that relate to the Department.
The joint committee can review matters of the EU and engage with ministers and European bodies. It can also consider the general scheme or draft heads of bills and any post-enactment report on any bill in respect of the Department. Additionally, it can engage with chairperson-designates of bodies or agencies under the aegis of the Department.
The following are the main policy questions the committee scrutinises:
- provision of housing and employment in Gaeltacht areas;
- the economy in Gaeltacht areas;
- that at least 20 per cent of recruitments to public bodies will be competent in the Irish language by the end of 2030;
- use of bilingual advertisements by public bodies;
- funding challenges of Foras na Gaeilge;
- reviewing the annual report of Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga;
- investigate the work programme and priorities of Údarás na Gaeltachta;
- investigate the progress of the Gaeilge365 initiative;
- education matters from early years education to third level;
- sport organisations, youth matters, and the promotion of the Irish language;
- the broadcasting sector and productions in Irish;
- the use of the Irish language in the arts sectors;
- people with disabilities and their access to the Irish language;
- language planning; and
- promotion of the Irish language on the island of Ireland.
| Shane Moynihan TD, Fianna Fáil (Cathaoirleach)
 About: TD for Dublin Mid-West. Served on South Dublin County Council between 2019 and 2024. He was appointed Cathaoirleach of the committee in June 2026 when former chair Naoise Ó Cearúil, who served in the role for two weeks, was appointed chair of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence.
|
Naoise Ó Muirí TD, Fine Gael
 About: TD for Dublin North since 2024. Served on Dublin City Council from 2004 to 2024 and he is a former Lord Mayor of Dublin. He comes from an engineering background and co-founded Zing Technology, an IT company.
|
|
John Connolly TD, Fianna Fáil
 About: TD for Galway West since 2024. Elected to Galway County Council in 2004 but lost his place on the Council in 2009. Elected to the council again in 2019 and retained his seat in 2024.
|
Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, Sinn Féin
 About: TD for Dublin South Central since 2022. He is Sinn Féin’s spokesperson for Irish, the Gaeltacht, and the arts and previously served as party whip. He worked for Bord na Gaeilge before entering politics.
|
|
Naoise Ó Cearúil TD, Fianna Fáil
 About: TD for Kildare North since 2024. Elected to Kildare County Council in 2014, and served as mayor of Kildare between 2021 and 2022. Appointed Cathaoirleach of the committee in May 2026 before stepping down to become Cathaoirleach of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence in June 2026 in place of Malcolm Byrne who stepped down following an arrest on suspicion of drunk driving.
|
Seanadóir Joe Conway, Neamhspleách
 About: Senator on the cultural and educational panel since 2025. He served on Waterford County Council between 2009 and 2014, and on Waterford City and County Council from 2014 to 2025. Previously worked at Údarás na Gaeltachta, who nominated him for the Seanad.
|
|
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh TD, Sinn Féin
 About: TD for Kildare South since November 2024. She worked as a teacher before her election to Kildare County Council in June 2024. She is involved in the Kildare chapter of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
|
Seanadóir Shane Curley, Fianna Fáil
 About: Senator on the cultural and educational panel since 2025. He is the Seanad spokesperson for education and the Irish language. He served on Galway County Council between 2019 and 2025. Previously worked as a teacher and financial adviser.
|
|
Peadar Tóibín TD, Aontú
 About: TD for Meath West since 2011. He was previously a Sinn Féin TD, but he left the party in 2018 and formed Aontú in 2019 in protest against the party’s stance in the abortion referendum. Before politics, he was a self-employed management consultant working in the enterprise sector in Ireland and Scotland.
|
Seanadóir Evanne Ní Chuilinn, Fine Gael
 About: Senator since 2025, nominated by the Taoiseach. She is Seanad spokesperson for the arts, media, sport, and communications. She is a former sports broadcaster and journalist for RTÉ.
|
|
Barry Ward TD, Fine Gael
 About: TD for Dún Laoghaire since 2024. Elected to Seanad Éireann in 2020 on the industrial and commercial panel. He is a barrister and served as justice spokesperson for Seanad Éireann. He worked as a legal adviser for former Taoiseach Enda Kenny between 2005 and 2007.
|
Seanadóir Nicole Ryan, Sinn Féin
 About:Senator on the administrative panel since 2025. She founded Alex’s Story, a social enterprise that educates post primary students on drugs, after the death of her brother in 2016. She is a prominent voice on health matters.
|
