President ‘disappointed’ with level of Irish in the Civil Service
March 6, 2014
At a special event held yesterday in Áras an Uachtaráin, President Micheál D. Ó hUiginn welcomed representatives of the Irish language community to an occasion in honour of former Language Commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin.
On 4th December 2013, Ó Cuirreáin announced his resignation with effect from 23 February 2014. Announcing his resignation, Ó Cuirreáin stated that following 10 years in the role, and with two more left in his appointed term, there was little else he could personally achieve in that timeframe in relation to language rights for Irish speakers and Gaeltacht communities. Ó Cuirreáin referenced the lack of implementation and the low standard of the language scheme system, the lack of competence in Irish throughout the stateservice, and the government’s decision to merge the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga with the Office of the Ombudsman as factors contributing to his decision.
Yesterday’s event was arranged by the President himself, to convey his gratitude to Seán Ó Cuirreáin for all he has done to “foster the everyday use of the Irish language among our citizens, and to vindicate the rights of Irish as our first national language”.
During his speech, President Higgins spoke about his personal disappointment at the lack of Irish language skills within the Civil Service: “As President of Ireland, I want to express not only my disappointment but my concern at the apparent low level of capabilities in the Public Service for engaging with citizens who wish to exercise their right to interact with the State and its agencies in Irish”.
The President also spoke of how the “pernicious myth that learning Irish is a barrier to the acquisition of any other language” must be challenged.
Giving a clear message to the Government and its departments, President Higgins commented on the necessity to carefully consider the “difficulties Seán Ó Cuirreáin faced in the pursuit of his mission, difficulties that were such that he thought it better to step down as An Coimisinéir Teanga”.
At another event in Áras an Uachtaráin next Monday, Ó Cuirreáin’s successor, reporter Rónán Ó Domhnaill, will be officially appointed to the position of An Coimisinéir Teanga.
Gaelport.com
