Údarás na Gaeltachta has reported a year of "sustained growth" with 9,716 people employed across client companies and sales exceeding €1 billion for the second consecutive year.
The regional development agency for the Gaeltacht said 681 jobs were created last year and its client companies had 214 vacancies at year end in Gaeltacht areas.
The organisation says its annual report for 2025 highlights a year of sustained growth and progress in enterprise, community and the Irish language in the Gaeltacht.
Client companies' exports reached €697 million, representing 60% of total sales.
The gteic network expanded to 29 working hubs, supporting 436 employees and providing 867 workspaces, with two further hubs due to open in 2026
Údarás na Gaeltachta CEO Tomás Ó Síocháin, who described 2025 as a landmark year, said the organisation was building a future where "enterprise growth and language vitality go hand in hand."
"Our expansion of the gteic digital hub network and groundbreaking work in Irish-language AI development positions the Gaeltacht at the forefront of technological advancement while strengthening our language and communities," he said.
Read the report in full here
Údarás na Gaeltachta is collaborating with researchers to create an Irish language corpus that will bring the language to smart devices worldwide.
The organisation is working with researchers in Trinity College Dublin, UCC, University of Galway and Mozilla Common Voice and Data Collective.
It hopes to develop AI tools for real-time Irish language processing and create intelligent query response systems to advance speech technology and AI-supported public services in Irish.
Last year, the organisation launched an Irish Language Development Scheme for larger client companies to support increased use of Irish in the workplace.
Some 15 companies registered by year end, representing a workforce of 1,139 employees.
In 2025, Údarás na Gaeltachta invested €1.4 million in training and skills development initiatives. Training programmes included apprenticeship schemes and the CUMASÚ programme supporting women entrepreneurs.
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary acknowledged the strong performance of client companies.
"It is a remarkable achievement to have almost 10,000 people employed in the organization's client companies and to achieve sales of €1 billion for the second consecutive year."
He said the headline figures would not happen without sustained strategic work.
"The organisation also had a central role in the language planning process last year, a role that will be expanded in 2026 with new schemes to be announced to embed language planning into Gaeltacht business affairs," Minister Calleary said.
Last year saw 28 Language Plans in operation across 26 Language Planning Areas and two Gaeltacht Service Towns.
The language plans were supported by an annual budget of €3.9 million with 33 Language Planning Officers employed.
In 2024 there was also significant investment in visitor centres and cultural facilities; €4 million was allocated for new visitor centres on Oileáin Árainn and Cléire in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, while the Emigrants’ Memorial Centre in Carna, Co Galway is nearing completion.
Chair of the Údarás na Gaeltachta Bord Siobhán Ní Ghadhra said establishing communities where Irish serves as the language of daily life is the fundamental objective of the organisation.
"Behind every statistic in this report lies an individual with deep ties to the Gaeltacht and a commitment to its future prosperity.
"We support entrepreneurs embracing the challenge to create something meaningful of their own, creating jobs and new opportunities," she said.
