Martin: Fine Gael policy would lead to extinction of Irish language
February 8, 2011
Fine Gael’s plan to abolish the teaching of the Irish language as a core subject for the Leaving Certificate would lead to the extinction of the language, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin claimed today.
“Irish belongs to us all and the Irish people have never had a more favourable attitude to the revival of the language,” he said. “We need to continue to reform the way Irish is taught and promoted but downgrading the status of the language in our education system would lead to the extinction of our language. “Enda Kenny should look at the evidence as to what has happened elsewhere when the study of languages was made optional. He should listen to the experts in this area and to those members of his own party who obviously recognise how misguided this approach is.
“Our Twenty Year Strategy for Irish is the most radical and comprehensive plan for the promotion of the language since the foundation of the State. “The strategy is a road map for the development of the language over the next twenty years and sets out a range of new measures – including many concerning how Irish is taught – to increase the number of daily speakers of Irish to 250,000 by 2030. “Fine Gael have given their support to this strategy but that support is now irrelevant given Enda Kenny’s pledge on RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta this morning to abolish the teaching of Irish as a core subject for the Leaving Cert. “Making Irish optional is not an option as far as I am concerned. It would lead not the revival of Irish by 2030 but to its extinction.”
Irish Examiner
