The £6 Million Promise That Somehow Arrived With £5 Million Missing
There is a particular kind of magic practiced by government departments. It does not involve rabbits, hats, or assistants being sawed in half. It involves public money disappearing from the purpose printed beside it and reappearing somewhere else wearing a little badge that says “spending priorities.” That is apparently what happened to £6 million allocated for Irish-medium school accommodation and facilities in Northern Ireland. The Department of Education received the money during the December 2025 monitoring round after requesting it specifically for Irish-medium school buildings. Yet only £1 million went to Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta, the organisation that provides classrooms, buildings, and practical support for Irish-medium schools. The other £5 million was used for school construction projects already underway. To translate that from official language into the language spoken by ordinary human beings: the department asked for £6 million for one purpose, received £6 million fo...
