The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee will conclude its work this Parliament in March 2026 ahead of the next Scottish Parliament election. So the Committee has time to complete its work, it has agreed not to consider petitions submitted after 10 October.
The Committee will continue to meet but given the volume of petitions and agreed work programme it is unlikely that the Committee would be able to meaningfully progress work on petitions submitted after 10 October ahead of the election. Petitions lodged after this date will not fall when the Parliament is dissolved and will be for the successor committee to consider in the new session.
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Closed petition PE2098: Provide essential investment in the Gaelic language to secure its future
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to bring investment in the Gaelic language to sustainable levels by increasing Bòrd na Gàidhlig's annual budget to at least £8.5 million and increase funding in line with inflation each year.
Background information
Investment in Gaelic development creates jobs, particularly in marginalised rural and island communities, and has a positive impact across numerous policy priorities.
Two panels of Government appointed experts estimated in the early 2000s that to fulfil its obligations Bòrd na Gàidhlig would need an annual budget of £10 million. It has only ever received around £5 million per year, which has never risen in line with inflation.
Gaelic community development is chronically underfunded and suffers real-terms cuts year on year. This comes against a worsening trend of language-shift in the island and rural communities and insufficient support nationally. We face the very real threat that Gaelic will cease to exist as a community language.
If Bòrd na Gàidhlig's initial budget had increased in line with inflation it would have reached between £8.5m and £10m for 2024/25. Even that increase would leave it below the level recommended in the early 2000s.
If the Scottish Government, and Parliament, are serious about securing Gaelic's future then investment in it must be brought to adequate levels.
This petition was considered by the Scottish Parliament
1,152 signatures