Irish language ‘being driven to margins of society’, commissioner asserts
January 24, 2014
Seán Ó Cuirreáin: “Language rights are permanent rights.”
Irish Language Commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin has said the language is being continuously driven to the margins of Irish society in a process accelerated by the inaction of Government, the civil service and the public sector.
Mr Ó Cuirreáin announced late last year that he would be stepping down from his position as Coimisinéir Teanga in February because of Government and public service inaction in preserving and promoting the language.
He used his last appearance yesterday before the Oireachtas sub-committee on the 20-year strategy for the Irish language to roundly condemn of the State and Government’s attitude.
Mr Ó Cuirreáin said he believed there was “no possibility” that a new system to increase the number of civil servants fluent in Irish would succeed.He said he had calculated that the scheme would take some 28 years to increase the number of fluent speakers in a core Government department for Irish to just 3 per cent from its present rate of 1. 5 per cent.
‘No importance’
Nobody knew if it was being implemented, because its progress was measured by self-assessment, and “no importance” could be attached to this, he said.
He gave as an example a claim by the Revenue Commissioners that a third of their press releases were being issued in two languages. But when his office checked, it emerged that they were being issued in only one.
Then, once a year, it was getting four months’ worth of press releases translated in one go.
While acknowledging that some progress had been made in the 10 years since the enactment of the Official Languages Act, Mr O Cuirreáin pointed to the fact that 10 of the 16 Irish language officers nominated to implement the Act across Government departments do not speak Irish themselves.
He said the State had two simple choices – to look back at Irish as our lost language, or forward with it as a core part of our heritage and sovereignty.
“It is with heavy hearts that the people of the Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking community in general will approach the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising in two years’ time if our national language is to be merely a symbolic language … that is pushed aside, marginalised and left in the halfpenny place in the life of this nation,” he said.
“The support required for the Irish language within this country’s public service should not and could not be viewed as an optional extra,” he said.
“Language rights are permanent rights; they are not concessions or privileges granted at times of prosperity.”
No TD or Senator from either Government party attended the meeting.
Irish Times
Jobs to go as Foras cuts northern funds
January 24, 2014
Two leading West Belfast Irish language organisations have reacted angrily to a new rationalisations plan that will result in them losing key funding.
Foras na Gaeilge, which was set up after the Good Friday Agreement to promote the Irish language has said it will cut the number of Irish language groups to whom it provides core funding across Ireland from 19 to six. However, none of the six organisations that will continue to be funded are based in the north.
The changes will come into effect in July with Pobal, Iontabhas Ultach, Forbairt Feirste and Altram set to lose a significant portion of their budgets.
Pobal, the advocacy organisation for the Irish language, says that as a result of Foras na Gaeilge’s decision, it will lose four out of five full-time posts.
“The result of the ending of Pobal’s core funding will mean a loss of services and support for Irish speakers and a loss of expertise and experience,” said the group’s CEO Janet Muller.
“None of the organisations Foras na Gaeilge has selected for continuing funding do the work Pobal does, and none of them have the crucial expertise around legislation, rights, equality, special-needs and whole range of other areas affecting the development of Irish in the North.
“Not one single organisation selected by Foras na Gaeilge is based in the north. None of them have the long-standing relationship with the same variety of key players that we have. Whilst Foras na Gaeilge says the six organisations will have to employ some people in the north, the reality is that there would be fewer jobs than at present. Many more people will be laid off than will be re-employed”.
“There will be a massive drop in the authoritative directorial roles for norther workers, which means it will be very difficult for them to determine or influence organisational policy, to negotiate with politicians and service providers or to structure a work plan according to the specific needs of the north. All these things will be decided in Dublin.
“In recent months, all 19 core-funded organisations have condemned Foras na Gaeilge’s proposals because they will severely damage the language throughout the country. Pobal believes that the worst effect will be felt in the north. We have always carried out co-ordination research and project work on an all-Ireland basis, but we believe that both parts of the island need expert approaches because in the north the infrastructure is less developed and the social political and legislative position of the language is completely different from that in the south. As well as that, there is a vibrancy to the community in the north, yet Foras na Gaeilge has selected only Dublin-based organisations to survive the axe”.
Forbairt Feirste Director, Jake Mac Siacais told the Andersonstown News that the Irish language community’s infrastructure in the north will be ‘decimated’ by the Foras decision.
“If the bald truth be told, it has been a rationalisation and cuts agenda which Foras has been slavishly following in recent years whilst all the while adding to its own wages bill”, he said. “And it is a cuts agenda which they will be implementing under these arrangements without any regard to the impact and the implications for the Irish speaking community across the island, but mos particularly here in the north where the Irish language community’s infrastructure, skills base, experience, investments and painstaking partnership building will be decimated by the Foras approach”.
“Back in 2003, when the 26 county government initiated this policy of cuts with a savage 11 per cent cut in the Foras budget, the board of Foras na Gaeilge issued a strong statement saying among other theings, that Board members agreed that the status and repurations of Foras an Gaeilge as a cross-border agency had been weakened and the credibility of the Foras as an all-island language body was in doubt”.
“Ten years further on it is difficult to give any credibility to the Foras contention, made without a hint of irony, that this latest move heralds a new era for the Irish language when the status and reputation of the Foras as a cross-border agency is weakened and when there is now, more than ever, doubt about the credibility of Foras na Gaeilge as an all-island language body”.
“Having said that, Forbairt Feirste has long been engaged in pioneering work, creating an approach to using the Irish language as a regeneration catalyst which is unique on the island and we will endeavour to secure this work of driving forward the development of the Gaeltacht Quarter and the continued underpinning of the development of the Irish language community in Belfast.
“It is much too important to be allowed to go the wall and much too important to be left to the mercies of Foras and its new funding arrangement which are lacking in both the experience and imagination necessary for the work in hand”.
Raidió Fáilte and An tÁisaonad, both based on the Falls Road and which also receive funding from Foras na Gaeilge, will continue to be funded under separate arrangements.
Andersonstown News
Cláraigh anois do Sheachtain na Gaeilge
January 23, 2014
Coláiste na Coiribe over ‘final hurdle’ for new school building
January 23, 2014
Students and teachers at Coláiste na Coiribe could be moving into a new school building by late 2015 after signifcant progress was made recently with the Galway Roscommon Education Training Board advertising for tenders for the construction project at Ballyburke in Knocknacarra.
The advertisement, placed on the Government eTenders procurement website last week, is seeking tenders for the construction of the new purpose built secondary school for Coláiste na Coiribe, which will accommodate 720 pupils and comprise three and two storey teaching blocks, a sports hall, five hard court surfaced ball courts, 68 parking spaces, and a grassed playing pitch. Welcoming this development, Knocknacarra based Independant councillor Donal Lyons said: “I am delighted that the final hurdle has now been overcome in the long running saga of providing a permanent home for Colaiste na Coiribe. Since the school was founded it has been housed in temporary accommodation in the Claddagh and subsequently to its present temporary location on the Tuam Road.
The school opened its doors in 1992 with 10 students and presently caters for close on 300 students and has operated from very challenging physical accommodation for more than 20 years. Both the school community and the former City of Galway Vocational Education Committee have been to the forefront in trying to secure permanent accommodation for the school.” The site at Ballyburke was earmarked back in 1999 and was zoned for institutional purposes such as a school building. However, after a number of purchasing difficulties the site had to be compulsory purchased by Galway City Council. It was then proposed that the school should be built as a private public partnership and outline planning permission was sought and granted following a decision by the Planning Appeals Board.
The private public partnership did no go ahead due to the downturn in the economy and the Department of Education then agreed to progress the project by a direct build, and a design team was appointed to progress the project to completion. “As former chairperson of the City of Galway Vocational Education Committee and as a member of the board of management of Colaiste na Coiribe, I am delighted that tenders have now been sought for the construction of a new school building which could be ready for occupation in late 2015. I have no doubt that last week’s advertisement will be warmly welcomed by the school community who have led a long campaign to have a purpose built building constructed to cater for the school’s future accommodation needs. In recent years there has been a cap on the number of students being enrolled and the school can now look forward to increased enrolments when the new school is operational. The Coláiste na Coiribe development will accommodate 720 pupils when complete and will predominantly cater for students from local Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools,” said Cllr Lyons.
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Tús le pleanáil teanga Ghaeltachta
January 23, 2014
Maoiniú eagraíochtaí Gaeilge
January 23, 2014
Titeann an tua ar 13 eagraíocht
January 23, 2014
Comórtas Díospóireachta Uí Chadhain – Craobh na hÉireann
January 23, 2014
‘Draíodóir Oz’ i nGaelscoil Uí Riada
January 22, 2014
It was a case of Lights, Camera, Action as pupils of Gaelscoil Uí Riada performed ‘Draíodóir Oz’ to packed audiences in the school hall on 4th and 5th of December. This is the latest musical produced by Gaelscoil Uí Riada and once again had every pupil in the school performing on stage.
All dialogue was ‘as Gaeilge’ and, as Gaeilge is the everyday language used in school, this proved no obstacle for the young performers
Weeks of preparation culminated in a thoroughly professional production – original artwork for the sets, a sound system and ‘live music’ – not to mention full costume and make-up!
It is a great learning opportunity for all the pupils as they learn how a show is approached and can see the whole process from auditions and casting to rehearsals and finally the performance on the big night. “Hopefully it will be a wonderful memory for each of them”, said the principal Aindrias O Maolanfaidh. “Of course, such a production is only possible with a huge effort and the co-operation of pupils, teachers and parents. We thank them all for helping to make it such a great success”.
The schools first such production was indeed ’Draíodóir Oz’ in 2005 which was followed by ‘Oliver’ in 2007, ‘Séis Cheoil / The Sound of Music’ in 2009 and ‘Rí na Leon/ The Lion King’ in 2011.
Cártaí Comhrá – ar fáil ag comhdháil an IPPN
January 22, 2014
