Highland Council’s newly-established Gaelic committee will hold its first meeting this afternoon.
The establishment of the strategic committee was approved last December, though what was to have been its first sitting earlier this year was delayed due to the pandemic.
It will replace the previous Gaelic implementation group and is intended to raise the profile and prominence of Gaelic within the council and help reinforce the council’s commitment to promoting and enhancing Gaelic language and culture across the Highland region.
The committee will also oversee, monitor, scrutinise and promote the implementation of the council’s Gaelic plan and liaise with Bòrd na Gàidhlig on the strategic development of the Gaelic language.
And it will also work with other Gaelic development agencies that promote language, heritage and culture in the Highlands.
Also part of its brief is working with the Scottish Government and parliament around legislation, along with budget monitoring and scrutiny of Gaelic- specific funding, grants and expenditure.
The first meeting today is to agree the membership, role and remit of the committee, including appointing a chair and vice-chair.
A draft work plan is to be presented at the committee’s next meeting in October, and the committee itself will report to full council.
Highland Council has signed up to the Scottish Government’s National Gaelic Language Plan and is required to implement its own plan and regularly report on its progress.
