Minister Dara Calleary has confirmed the start of procurement for the next phase of a multi-million-euro Education and Youth Centre in the Galway Gaeltacht.

Announcing the move, the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht said tenders are now being sought for the Indreabhán project, which is progressing as part of a package of major capital works funded under the revised National Development Plan agreed in July 2025.

The scheme will deliver a modern, high-quality facility on an Údarás na Gaeltachta site where Coláiste Lurgan is currently based. The planned centre will include a multi-purpose hall suitable for sports and entertainment events, classrooms, a kitchen, offices and on-site parking.

In 2023, the Department of the Gaeltacht approved funding for Údarás na Gaeltachta to undertake design work and secure planning permission for the project, which is now ready to advance to the next stage.

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The centre will be owned and operated by Údarás na Gaeltachta. Outside the summer months it will serve as an educational, youth, sports and community hub; during the summer it will be used by Coláiste Lurgan to run a summer college.

Speaking in Indreabhán, Minister Calleary said: "I am delighted to be here in Indreabhán as we announce the next step in this major infrastructure project that will see tenders being sought to undertake this major work. This is a major step forward which will greatly benefit the area and the surrounding community. It will provide much-needed space for a range of community groups and activities in this Gaeltacht area, and will further strengthen the language planning process by providing spaces where events and activities are promoted for Gaeltacht youth and Irish language learners from across the country."

Minister Calleary added: "This project is one of the Department's flagship capital projects, together with the new pier at Inis Oírr and the Irish Language and Cultural Centre on Harcourt Street in Dublin, and it is a priority for me that they progress without delay."

Tomás Ó Síocháin, Údarás na Gaeltachta CEO, said: "This centre will provide excellent facilities for young people in the Gaeltacht. "Young people play a central role in the future of the Irish language and this investment demonstrates our commitment to their learning, development and social needs. The facility will also be a centre for learning and development at a regional and national level and will greatly enhance Údarás na Gaeltachta's ability to meet the demands that will arise in the wake of the Irish Language Public Services Action Plan just published by Minister Calleary's Department."