According to the Central Statistics Office’s Census 2022 Profile 8: The Irish Language and Education , nearly 1,873,997 people aged three or older declared they could speak Irish, about 40% of that age group. But of that number, only 71,968 said they spoke Irish daily outside the education system — a slight drop from 2016.

In Gaeltacht areas — Ireland’s traditional Irish-speaking regions — the story is similar. Though the number of people living in Gaeltacht zones rose slightly, the proportion who speak Irish daily fell.

In 2022, 20,261 people in Gaeltacht regions spoke Irish daily outside school, down about 1.6% since 2016. Some Gaeltacht regions fared better than others: in County Galway’s Gaeltacht, about 39% of residents reported daily Irish use, though that’s down from 40% in 2016.

Behind those figures lies a gap between identification and use. From the Census data, 55% of self-reported Irish speakers said they could not speak Irish well; 10% said they spoke it very well, and 32% said they spoke it well. In other words, many can, but far fewer do or feel confident doing so.

Still, efforts persist to reclaim Irish as a living language. The Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 , designed to strengthen Irish usage in public life, is being rolled out in phases.

Meanwhile, in a striking move north of the border, Northern Ireland is poised to repeal a centuries-old ban on Irish in courts (the 1737 Administration of Justice (Language) Act) under its Identity and Language Act 2022.

The map’s muted greens and greys may hint at decline, but embedded in the numbers and cultural currents is hope. If legal measures are fully implemented, education reforms deepen immersion, and spaces for everyday Irish expand, that gap between knowing and using the language can begin to close.

Under the new policy, all student and exchange visitor applicants must disclose their social media handles and make their profiles public. Failure to comply could lead to visa denial.

A US State Department official explained that consular officers are conducting more extensive checks across all student and exchange visa categories, including F, M, and J classifications. The aim, according to the embassy, is to screen out individuals who may pose security threats or hold anti-American views. It emphasised that entry into the US is a privilege, not a right.

Critics, including Ireland’s national student union, have condemned the updated vetting process as an excessive invasion of privacy . They argue it infringes on freedom of expression and could deter students from speaking out on important global issues.

After meeting with US Ambassador to Ireland Ed Walsh, Harris said they had “a really good conversation” about the visa situation. He reiterated his belief that peaceful protest and free expression should not jeopardise a student’s opportunity to participate in cultural exchange programs like the J1.

The laser treatment offers significant benefits for glaucoma patients, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for long-term medication. “The laser can control glaucoma, allowing patients to either avoid medication for many years or reduce the number of eyedrop medications needed,” the report detailed.

Hall highlighted the severity of glaucoma in Africa, stating, “Glaucoma has an earlier onset in Africans and is more aggressive in its course. In most of Africa, only about one in 20 of those with the disease are aware, with over 50% being unilaterally blind on presentation.”

Access to eye health services in Sierra Leone is particularly challenging. "In Sierra Leone, access to eye health checks and treatment is challenging as the country is among the poorest nations in the world. Glaucoma is treated with eyedrop medication, but treatment is for life and the cost is out of the reach of most of the 8.6 million inhabitants of Sierra Leone,” Hall explained.

Through UK charity Vision Action, Hall has been actively involved in improving eye health and vision in West Africa. According to the report, he managed to secure a laser used for treating glaucoma from a private clinic in Ireland, which was no longer needed.

Glaucoma remains a significant health concern in Africa, with a higher prevalence compared to other regions. A 2017 study estimated that 8 million people in Africa suffered from open-angle glaucoma , with the number expected to double by 2040. The rate of vision loss and blindness due to glaucoma in Africa is twice the global average, the study indicated.