An Olympic medal winning rower and an All-Ireland winning hurler have urged fellow students at NUI Galway to take part in the unicov.org rapid testing project to combat Covid-19. Athlete-scholars Fiona Murtagh and Galway senior hurler Conor Whelan added their voices to the project as thousands of young people settle into the return to campus. NUI Galway is leading the programme, which is seeking hundreds of student volunteers for rapid antigen testing and saliva-based PCR and LAMP testing, as well as conducting wastewater surveillance. Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Fiona Murtagh said: “Sport and teamwork go hand in hand. The Olympics was possible this year because of our safety measures in preventing the spread of Covid-19. In order to keep campus life here in Galway as normal as possible, I encourage everyone to work together in helping to control the spread of Covid. Please join me in taking the tests and participate in the UniCoV programme.” Conor Whelan, All-Star and All-Ireland winning hurler with Galway in 2015, said: “I’m encouraging all students to volunteer for the UniCoV programme, to take the tests and work together as part of a team in the fight against Covid. It’s been great to see students back on campus and life going back to normal as we know it. “But keep in mind the fight against COVID is still ongoing and follow the HSE guidelines. I encourage all students to volunteer for UniCoV programme in order to avoid any outbreaks and help with early detection.” Unicov.org allows for large-scale comparative analysis of Covid-19 testing technologies to inform the development of early warning systems for future disease outbreak prevention and control. For further detail about the project and to register, go to www.unicov.org. As well as NUI Galway being the lead site for the project, it is also running in Trinity College, UCD and UCC. More than 2,100 tests have been completed so far at NUI Galway, with the project coordinators targeting a significant rise in testing the coming weeks. More than 400 employees and students have volunteered at NUI Galway alone, with the target of 2,000 participants at each of the four sites. NUI Galway Professor Breda Smyth, UniCoV’s national coordinator, said: “UniCoV together with vaccination, face masks, social distancing and hand washing, is an additional layer to protect the community and to help prevent any asymptomatic spread of SARS-CoV-2.” “Rapid tests have the potential to enhance and complement the existing public health strategy for monitoring of the virus. UniCoV needs people from across the entire university community - students and staff - to get involved, volunteer and take part.” Ends

Ciste Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge méadaithe 10%   Suas le 2,000 mac léinn ag freastal ar chúrsaí sna hionaid Ghaeltachta   Fostófar duine le PhD sa Luathoideachas nó réimse gaolmhar le ceardlanna a reáchtáil sna hionaid Ghaeltachta agus modúil a fhorbairt don BA sa Luathoideachas   Beart ar leith le cuidiú le cur i bhfeidhm fhorálacha Bhille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2021   D’fhógair Catherine Martin, T.D. an tAire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán agus Jack Chambers T.D., Príomh-Aoire an Rialtais agus an tAire Gaeltachta agus Spóirt, inniu (24 Meán Fómhair) go bhfuil ciste trí bliana ar fiú €3m é ceadaithe ag an Roinn don Údarás um Ard-Oideachas le leithdháileadh ar Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge chun cur ar a gcumas leanúint le raon cúrsaí trí mheán na Gaeilge a chur ar fáil sna trí ionad Gaeltachta atá acu - i nGaoth Dobhair, i gCarna agus ar an gCeathrú Rua. Is ionann an t-allúntas seo agus €1m in aghaidh na bliana acadúla don tréimhse 2021/22, 2022/23 agus 2023/24 - €300,000 sa bhreis ar an gclár maoinithe trí bliana a chuaigh roimhe. Mar chuid den chlár oibre atá comhaontaithe leis an Acadamh, tá beartaithe duine le PhD sa Luathoideachas nó réimse ghaolmhar a fhostú chun: • ceardlanna a reáchtáil sna hIonaid Ghaeltachta; • modúil a fhorbairt don BA sa Luathoideachas don réimse luathoideachais a mbeidh mar chuspóir aige tacú leis an oiliúint chuí a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge do chleachtóirí luathoideachais atá ag obair i naíonraí sa Ghaeltacht agus taobh amuigh di, Faoin gcur chuige atá aontaithe leis an Acadamh, cuirfear gearrchúrsaí i sealbhú agus saibhriú teanga, mar a bhaineann sé leis an réimse luathoideachais ar fáil sna hionaid Ghaeltachta de chuid an Acadaimh atá lonnaithe i nGaoth Dobhair, ar an gCeathrú Rua agus i gCarna. Dúirt an tAire Martin: “Is ábhar dóchais domsa an líon mac léinn ón nGaeltacht a théann ar aghaidh go dtí an ollscoil agus iad in ann sin a dhéanamh ina dteanga dúchais in ionaid atá lonnaithe sa Ghaeltacht. Nuair a chuirtear san áireamh go mbaineann breis agus dhá mhíle mac léinn tairbhe bhliantúil as an raon cúrsaí a bhíonn á riar ag an Acadamh sna trí ionad Gaeltachta de chuid Ollscoil na hÉireann Gaillimh - a chuireann fostaíocht ar fáil do bhreis agus 60 duine faoi scáth an Acadaimh - is léir go bhfuil leas á bhaint as infheistíocht na Roinne, atá ar leas na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta. Cabhróidh an maoiniú breise atá á fhógairt inniu ar bhealach praiticiúil leis an mbonneagar Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht a neartú tuilleadh ar leas fhorfheidhmiú na Straitéise 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge agus an Phlean Gníomhaíochta 2018-2022 don Ghaeilge atá mar thaca aige” Dúirt an tAire Stáit Chambers: “Le ceadú an allúntais trí bliana seo - a thagann ar sála an chláir mhaoinithe trí bliana a tháinig chun deiridh le gairid, tá mo Roinn ag déanamh beart de réir briathair mar a bhaineann sé cur i bhfeidhm an Phlean Gníomhaíochta 2018-2022 don Ghaeilge. Is údar sásaimh faoi leith dom an beart faoi leith atá luaite sa chlár mar a bhaineann sé le gnóthaí luathbhlianta. De thoradh an bhirt seo glacfar le céim bhreise a bheidh ar leas an chóraisluathbhlianta sa Ghaeltacht agus ar leas an pholasaí don oideachas Gaeltachta agus an phróisis pleanála teanga dá réir. Cuirfidh feidhmiú córasach an chláir oibre atá mar ábhar an mhaoinithe seo leis an gcomhpháirtíocht atá bunaithe le fada leis an Acadamh, ar mhaithe le deiseanna oideachais tríú leibhéal a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge in ionaid Ghaeltachta na hollscoile. "Tá áthas ar leith orm go bhfuil an tAcadamh ag díriú isteach ar chúrsaí oiliúna a chur ar fáil don earnáil luathoideachais sa Ghaeltacht. Luíonn sé seo isteach le feidhmiú rathúil an phróisis pleanála teanga agus an pholasaí don oideachas Gaeltachta araon.” Dúirt An tOllamh Breandán Mac Suibhne, Stiúrthóir Léinn an Acadaimh: “Tá tábhacht ar leith ag baint leis an luath-oideachas i bpleanáil teanga. Leis an mhaoiniú breise seo, beidh Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh ábalta tacaíocht níos fearr a thabhairt do dhaoine atá ag obair i naíonraí cheana féin. Agus beidh sí ábalta córas oiliúna a chur ar fáil le cuidiú le daoine atá ag gabháil isteach san earnáil luath-oideachais dúshláin teangeolaíochta a aithint agus a shárú. Tá muid iontach buíoch don Aire agus don Aire Stáit agus d’fhoireann uilig na Roinne as deis a thabhairt dúinn ról nós lárnaí a bheith againn i bhforbairt na h-earnála tábhachtaí seo. "Lena chois sin, tá an Roinn ag cuidiú leis an Ollscoil réimse níos leithne léachtaí agus ceardlanna a chur ar siúl sna hionaid Ghaeltachta—i gCarna, ar an Cheathrú Rua, agus i nGaoth Dobhair; rachaidh na h-imeachtaí seo chun tairbhe don phobal agus do mhic léinn a bhfuil trémhse á caitheamh acu sa Ghaeltacht mar chuid dá gclár léinn.” I gcomhréir lena bhfuil luaite i mbeart 2.19 den Phlean Gníomhaíochta - go ndíreofar ar fhorbairt a dhéanamh ar oiriúnú a dhéanamh ar na cláir éagsúla chun tacú tuilleadh le cur chun cinn an phróisis pleanála teanga - tá aontaithe ag an Roinn leis an Acadamh go gcuirfear raon cúrsaí ar fáil ar mhaithe le tacú tuilleadh le cur i bhfeidhm an phróisis pleanála teanga mar a bhaineann sé leis na ceantair Ghaeltachta, na Bailte Seirbhíse agus na Líonraí Gaeilge. Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil faoin bPlean Gníomhaíochta 2018-2022 ar fáil ANSEO. Foilseofar an dara tuairisc bhliantúil maidir le cur i bhfeidhm an phlean ina chumhdófar an tréimhse ó mhí Iúil 2019 go Nollaig 2020 go luath. -Críoch-

NUI Galway has been awarded a special €1million fund to drive the University’s strategy and improvements in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.  Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris T.D. announced the Performance Funding as part of dedicated investment by Government for higher education institutions in recognition of innovative programmes to help create a better society. NUI Galway is one of only five institutions to be awarded funding. The fund was secured following the submission of a case study detailing recent actions to advance gender equality within the University. It will support the expansion of work in the area of gender equality and the wider Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda. President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “The award of €1million Government funding, a very significant portion of the funding available, to help progress the equality agenda is testament to the impactful work and dedication of our NUI Galway community in recent years. “It is also a clear appreciation of NUI Galway’s commitment to advancing equality for all our staff and students consistent with our values of openness and respect. Diversity welcomes all the talents and, by doing so, makes for a better, stronger university. This work continues and is the responsibility of us all to support its progression in line with our focus on excellent work for the public good.” Aoife Cooke, Head of Equal Opportunities at NUI Galway, said: “All of the people involved in progressing equality at our University are delighted with the award from Government and it is a huge boost to everyone as we embed equality, diversity, and inclusion in our culture and address equality challenges.” With the establishment of a Gender Equality Task Force at NUI Galway, opportunities for women to progress in the University have greatly improved over the past four years. As highlighted by the recent Bronze Athena SWAN Award for the University, a range of initiatives have been taken in relation to equality at the University since 2016/17, including improvement in the representation of women in senior academic roles. The proportion of female staff holding the role of Senior Lecturer at NUI Galway increased from 33% in 2016/17 to 47% in 2020/21. The proportion of female staff holding the role of Personal Professor in the University increased from 16% to 28% over the same period. Ends