Seimineár Eolais faoi chúrsaí oideachais/oiliúna
April 8, 2014
Decision to merge the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga with the Office of the Ombudsman reversed
April 7, 2014
Office to remain “completely independent entity” under the Official Languages Bill (Amendments) 2014
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has announced that the plans to merge the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga with the Office of the Ombudsman will not be going ahead.
It was announced in November 2011 that a review of the Official Languages Act 2003 would be undertaken and the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga would also be merged with the Office of the Ombudsman. The review arose from the commitment made in the Programme for Government Ombudsman 2011-2016 to ensure the best value for money spent to develop the language and establish duties in accordance with the demands of the public.
While the review of the Act was welcomed, there was great opposition to the merger as part of the Department’s consultation process, and was highlighted again more recently with the resignation of Seán Ó Cuirreáin as An Coimisinéir Teanga.
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has confirmed that the Government has passed the Heads of Bill to go forward to the next stage of the review of the Act. The propsed Heads of Bill have been a source of great controversy following the release of an unofficial draft document. Several of the 14 draft policies have been opposed to as Irish language organisations deemed them to be detrimental to the current policies within the Official Languages Act 2003.
While the public remain dissatisfied with several of the amendments, the decision regarding the merger has been welcomed. Announcing the decision Minister of State, Dinny McGinley, T.D., said the decision was reversed following further review of the matter, including the results of the public consultation which clearly demonstrated the public’s support for the office to remain a completely independent entity.
Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge welcomed the Government’s decision to acknowledge the independence of the office of An Coimisinéir Teanga, however Stiúrthóir Chomhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Kevin De Barra, expressed disappointment at the review of the Official Languages Act 2003, saying: “The Irish language community put a lot of strain on themselves to play an active role in the consultation process and I find it very disappointing that those recommendations have not been listened to”.
“One example of the proposed weakening of the Act is to increase the lifespan of language schemes pertaining to Public Bodies from the current three year term to an increased seven year term. It is ridiculous that schemes have a longer term than that of An Coimisinéir Teanga”, said De Barra.
Newly appointed Coimisinéir Teanga, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, welcomed today’s announcement and said the decision “protects the independence of the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga and it puts an end to any uncertainty regarding the status of the Office in the future”.
Referring to the review of the Act Mr Ó Domhnaill said, “There is an opportunity with this new Bill to strengthen language rights for Irish speakers both inside and outside the Gaeltacht. I believe that the best way this can be done is by implementing the recommendations of the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga, which are based on 10 years of experience”.
While this latest development is good news for the Irish language community the weaknesses within the Heads of Bill remain a great concern. Ard-Rúnaí Chonradh na Gaeilge, Julian De Spáinn, said “No date has been set out in the Heads of Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2014 to provide all services in Irish to the Gaeltacht community without condition or question, for example. No adequate targets have been set regarding the recruitment of proficient Irish speakers to the public sector. The Office of the Language Commissioner, An Coimisinéir Teanga, has not been given a monitoring role in the implementation of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 – 2030”.
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Brian Bóroimhe agus Cath Chluain Tarbh
April 3, 2014
Féile Scoldrámaíochta Bhéal Feirste
April 3, 2014
Iomainn i nGaeilge
April 2, 2014
Nuachainteoirí – Taighde ar bun
April 2, 2014
Advisory Committee on 20 Year Strategy Appointed
April 1, 2014
The first meeting of a newly appointed Advisory Committee for the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish language will have its first meeting tomorrow.
Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley T.D., has founded an Advisory Committee in conjunction with relevant Irish language and Gaeltacht organisations to deal specifically with the implementation of the Government’s 20 Year Strategy for the Irish language and the language planning process arising from the Gaeltacht Act 2012.
Irish language and Gaeltacht organisations have long since demanded such a committee, and have slammed the lack of progress to date in relation to the Strategy. Government bodies have been accused of deliberate procrastination in relation to the Strategy.
In October 2012, a seminar was held between the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Foras na Gaeilge, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and Irish language and Gaeltacht organisations. During this seminar, it was strongly proposed that a structure be created whereby the voluntary sector could have input into the implementation of the Strategy.
Representatives of the following organisations will comprise the new advisory committee: Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; Údarás na Gaeltachta; Foras na Gaeilge; Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge; Gaelscoileanna Teoranta; Conradh na Gaeilge; Gael Linn; Oireachtas na Gaeilge; Glór na nGael; Comhlachas na gComharchumann Gaeltachta; Muintearas; Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne; CONCOS; Comhar na Naíonraí Gaeltachta; Óige na Gaeltachta; Ealaín na Gaeltachta; and An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta.
In a letter to the organisations inviting them to the first meeting, Minister of State for the Gaeltacht expressed his desire for the Advisory Committee to foster co-operation and a shared understanding between all parties in relation to the Strategy and the language planning process.
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Glór na nGael Awards 2014
March 31, 2014
Duais Náisiúnta Ghlór na nGael 2014, the Glór na nGael National Award, was awarded to Comharchumann Mhic Dara, an Cheathrú Rua, Co. Galway, at the weekend.
Irish language committees and groups from all over Ireland and overseas gathered in the Clontarf Castle on Saturday to celebrate their achievements in the preservation and promotion of Irish in their communities.
Minister of State Dinny McGinley congratulated all the organisations who took part and awarded over €120,000 in prizes to community groups, school groups, universities and groups from Scotland, Canada and America.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of State McGinley said the Glór na nGael awards goves recognition to the invaluable work of Irish language groups, to the sponsoring bodies, and he praised the relationships between those bodies and Gló na nGael.
While most of this year’s winners were announced in February, the winners of Duais Ghlór na nGael and the Third Level ccmpetition were not announced until Saturday’s ceremony.
On the night, a cheque for €20,000, sponsored by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltachta, as well as the Glór an nGael trophy, sponsored by Foras na Gaeilge, were awarded to Comharchumann Mhic Dara for the first time.
It was also announced that An Cumann Gaelach, Trinity College, came in first place in the Third Level competition and taking home a cheque for €2,000 for the third year in a row.
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SERVE agus Coláiste Feirste ag obair i gcomhpháirtíocht san Afraic
March 31, 2014
Siansa Gael Linn in the National Concert Hall
March 31, 2014
The grand finale of Siansa Gael Linn will be broadcast live from in the National Concert Hall on Raidió na Gaeltachta on Sunday, 6 April 2014.
Siansa Gael Linn is a competition aimed at young traditional music and singing groups organised and the competition has being goin from strength to strength since it was first held in 2001.
The eight groups who will perform on the night are ‘Iontas’, Coola Post-Primary School, Riverstown, Co. Sligo;‘Cóiriú’, St. Mary’s, Grammar School, Magherafelt, Co. Derry; ‘Na hÓgánaigh’, Coláistí Eoin & Íosagáin, Booterstown, Co. Dublin; ‘Na Rógairí’, Coláiste Cois Life, Lucan, Co. Dublin;‘Glór Mhaigh Eo’, Castlebar, Co. Mayo;‘Ceoltóirí Chnoc na Gaoithe’, Tulla, Co. Clare; ‘Lasair’, Mallow, Co. Cork and ‘Trioscar’, Co. Waterford. Each group will perform their own ten to twelve minute selection of traditional music and song on the night in what promises to be a fantastic concert.
The winning group will be awarded the Gael Linn trophy and a cheque for €2,500 with €1,250 going to the group in second place and €750 to the group in third. The top three groups will also release a CD of their winning performances and the winners will be given the opportunity to play events such as the Temple Bar Trad Fest.
Tickets are available for €12 (€6 for students) from the National Concert Hall, 01-4170000 or www.nch.ie. The final of Siansa Gael Linn 2014 will be broadcast live on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, presented by Áine Hensey, on Sunday, 6 April, at 7.30 pm.
The independent production company Red Shoe Productions will record the event which will be broadcast on TG4 on Wednesday, 23 April, at 9.30pm.
Siansa is organised by Gael Linn with support from Foras na Gaeilge, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and Irish Music Magazine.
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