Irish lessons not learned yet as FG women seethe
July 17, 2014
There’s a grim summer in prospect for poor Joe McHugh. The new junior minister with responsibility for the Gaeltacht isn’t very good at speaking Irish.
In fact, when Joe braved his ministerial debut in the Dáil yesterday morning, he made Gerry Adams sound like Seán Bán Bhreathnach. And that’s saying something. The Sinn Féin leader is very sensitive about his proficiency in the native tongue. He doesn’t take too kindly to criticism.
He’s known to be quite grumpy with journalists who poke fun at his occasionally painful attempts to engage in the cúpla focal with Enda. So he wasn’t going to be too hard yesterday on Joe or Heather Humphreys, who is the senior Minister in the department and also a bit of a duffer when it comes to speaking the teanga.
Nonetheless, Gerry is not happy with a state of affairs where the two with responsibility for the Irish language don’t have a very good grasp of it. Earlier, his colleague Peadar Tóibín steamrolled Humphreys and McHugh with a torrent of questions as Gaeilge which they found very difficult to understand. They apologised for their lack of fluency and promised they will work hard to get up to speed.
“I have no doubt about your commitment to learn the language at this stage, but the Ministry for the Gaeltacht is not an Irish language course,” said Peader, rather prissily.
He should tell that to his leader. At times, Gerry Adams has apologised in the chamber for his ability in this regard, pointing out that the only way he will improve is by learning as he goes along.
Where the two new Ministers are concerned, it might be said that Adams is that soldier too. Except this might imply active service of some kind and Gerry was never a member any army.
Journey of discovery
“I was asleep last night and I was thinking in Irish,” Donegal’s McHugh told the Dáil, in stuttering Irish. “I was thinking in the language for the first time in a long time” he added, in English. The new junior minister hoped people would follow him on his “journey” of discovery and learn along with him.
The Taoiseach has full confidence in his man. He said he’s advised him to go off and do a course at a very good school in Donegal, “cos he’s got the language inside of him, but it’s rusty”.
The Opposition thought this hilarious.
Michael Noonan wondered where Adams, who was enjoying this little exchange at McHugh’s expense, learned his Irish. Long Kesh, replied Adams, with no small amount of pride.
Crash course
One way or another, the Taoiseach confidently told the Dáil that Joe McHugh would be back in the chamber after the summer recess, a fluent speaker. Actually, it sounded more like an order than a challenge.
No pressure there so, Joe.
Miriam Lord
www.irishtimes.com
Money allocated to Donegal childcare facilities
July 17, 2014
The Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, Dr. James Reilly, T.D. has informed Deputy Dinny McGinley that in excess of E200,000 has been allocated for the provision of childcare facilities in Co. Donegal.
Amongst those included are:
Creeslough Community Childcare Services Ltd.; Naíonra Ailt an Chorrain; Naíonra Kincasslagh; Naíonra Gortahork; Naíonraí Phadraigh Dobhair; Convoy Community Playgroup; Donegal Playgroup; Saimer Community Childcare; Spraoi le Chéile; Niall Mór Community Childcare Centre; CPI Community Childcare, Castlefin.
Deputy McGinley welcomed this allocation which will be of considerable help to those who are providing childcare facilities in the County.
www.donegaldemocrat.ie
Amhrán nua ó Choláiste Lurgan
July 17, 2014
Child Protection & Weflare Training – new dates
July 16, 2014
Folúntas: Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí
July 16, 2014
Folúntais le Gaelscoileanna Teo.
July 16, 2014
New Minister of State says ‘one person will not save the language’
July 16, 2014
One person is not going to save the Irish language, Minister of State Joe Mc Hugh said in his defence after a blistering attack on the Government’s attitude to the language and the appointment of a non-fluent Irish speaker to the Gaeltacht Affairs portfolio.
Sinn Féin spokesman Peadar Tóibín said that while he would like to congratulate Mr McHugh and Cabinet Minister Heather Humphreys on their appointments, he could not because in his opinion it was unbelievable that the two Ministers did not have Irish when they had responsibility for the language.
He said the working language of the Department of the Gaeltacht would now become English because instead of the rows about translating documents into Irish they would now have to translate Irish documents into English so the Ministers would understand them.
He said there were 800 children in the Gaeltacht who were native Irish speakers and the Gaeltacht community was horrified at the Government’s lack.
Mr McHugh said: “I’m prepared to put in the work, like any job. I’ve already stated that I have to do a refresher course and I think this is about ensuring that the job is done correctly and I’m certainly going to do the best of my ability.”
He said one person was not going to save the language but the Ministers had a commitment to the language and to make it more widespread.
The Sinn Féin TD had asked in Irish what the Government was going to do to help Irish speaking communities to pass the language on to the next generation.
Mr Tóibín said he had no doubt about Mr McHugh’s commitment to learn the language at this stage but the ministry for the Gaeltacht was not an Irish language course. There are 800 children in this State with native Irish in schools in the Gaeltacht.
He said seven years ago the Irish language study stated that there was 20 years left with regard to Irish as a community language.
“There are 13 years left and the point of this is that now when people give out about English language documents having to be translated into Irish we’re going to have to have Irish language documents to be translated into English so the Ministers can understand them.”
“And the working language of the Department now becomes English because at the top of the Department the Ministers themselves can’t understand it.”
“You are saying to the children ‘learn Irish, speak Irish yourselves, speak Irish amongst yourselves but don’t speak Irish to us ‘cos we don’t have it.”
Mr McHugh said the question was about bringing the language into the home and getting parents speaking Irish.
The Minister said there was a challenge in thinking the language.
“I’m asking people to follow me in my journey, where we can reach out to people who got Cs and Bs and As in their Leaving Cert and don’t speak it but want to speak it and have a love and a grá for the Irish.”
Fianna Fáil arts spokesman Sean Ó Fearghaíl pointed to the protest by 10,000 people in Dublin in February to protest about the status of the language and what they see as this Government’s lack of commitment.
“I would take it that we have two new brooms in the Department. I don’t question your commitment but you’ll be judged at the end of the day by what you do.
“Can we see some renewed vigour on the part of yourself and the Minister of State in relation to the Plean Fiche Bliana.”
Ms Humphreys said they were committed to that. She said “I like many others learned school Irish but unfortunately if you don’t use it you lose it”.
The Minister said her parliamentary secretary got student of the year for his Irish but he was one of many who did not use it.
“We’re committed to the Irish language, absolutely. There is a huge cohort of the people there like myself. We need to book those people in and re-introduce the Irish language, that they can use it more regularly. And the big thing is the confidence because a lot of us know it but we don’t have the confidence to stand up and speak it.
“I just want to reassure you that I’m totally committed to the protection and the proper advancement of the Irish language and that it will be used much more in normal, everyday living.”
www.irishtimes.com
Agóid ag 13.15 inniu, 16.07.2014, ag Roinn an Taoisigh
July 16, 2014
Dúil Dúigh na ndéagóirí
July 16, 2014
They wouldn’t, would they?
July 16, 2014
