Dea-scéal an Taoisigh caillte ar Ghaeil na tíre
December 18, 2013
Keep Irish in schools
December 16, 2013
I see that some columnists and letter-writers constantly refer to the ‘ billions of euro’ that would be saved if the Irish language was removed from the curriculum of Irish schools – the pinnacle of what Irish patheticism seeks to achieve.
Unless the school day was made shorter, the teachers would still have to be paid the same; and if all Irish language teachers were dismissed, other teachers would have to be employed to fill the timetable. It costs no more or less to educate a child in Irish than in English, and I suspect that replacing Irish with Mandarin Chinese would actually cost more than teaching Irish. Ciaran Dunbar An Spideal, Co na Gaillimhe
www.independent.ie
Géarchéim anois gan Coimisinéir na Gaeilge
December 12, 2013
Irish speakers
December 11, 2013
Why do quite a number of Englishlanguage journalists think it is so smart and witty of them to show their ignorance of what it involves to be an Irish speaker?
It is not a hobby, it is not something I wish to practise twice a week for the craic, but it is every bit as intrinsic to my being as the colour of my skin. In this wonderfully diverse world of ours, a world where people are commended for defending their rights, are these totally unenlightened comments by Ian O’Doherty ( Irish Independent, December 9) acceptable?
Aine Nic Niallais, Indreabhan, Co na Gaillimhe
www.independent.ie
Gaeilge is not a Hobby
December 10, 2013
Further to Ian O’Doherty’s column yesterday where he refers to the Irish language as a hobby in the context of Sean O Cuirreain’s resignation as language commissioner, I would like to speak for Irish speakers.
Mr O’Doherty has grown up in a world where all the services that he deals with to conduct his life are offered in his first language. Not so the thousands and thousands of people who have grown up with Irish as their first language. Imagine going to the doctor, to the bank, to a garda, to a counsellor and they don’t speak your first language. Not only do they not speak your language, but if you try to obtain the service in your own language you’re labelled as awkward, a ‘Gaeilgeoiri Grenadier’ to quote Mr O’Doherty.
We are not from another country, we are from Ireland, believe it or not, and the fact that we are being marginalised does not change the fact that we have a right to be here. Mr O’Doherty forgets that millions upon millions in state money is being invested in supporting the infrastructure of the English language — every government service in the country. Because it’s for the majority it’s okay. He forgets that we have a right to exist as well. It isn’t a hobby. It isn’t a cash cow. It’s who we are and we have a right to be here.
BRIDGET BHREATHNACH
TURLOCH BEAG, ROS MUC, CO NA GAILLIMHE
www.independent.ie
What’s the Irish for ‘do not resuscitate’?
December 9, 2013
The Irish have always displayed a remarkable ability to pick the wrong argument at the wrong time.
In fact, we seem to have an almost comical capacity to take a step back from things, look at the bigger picture and then completely ignore it as we continue to be bothered only by what happens in our own small world. That’s what’ s infuriating about the recent push by Ming Flanagan to have a serious Dáil debate about the legalisation of cannabis. As it happens, I’d broadly agree with him, even though being on the same page as that spoofing little ham is enough to force anyone to have a long, hard look at themselves. No, my objections to this piece of political pantomime (Mick Wallace obviously has the role of the Widow Twankie, he’s been rocking her look for years now) are in the simple fact that now is not the time.
We have too many pressing, crushing issues to sort out to be wasting already limited Dáil hours arguing over something that isn’t going to go away any time soon. And, in a very different, yet very similar case, the head of Teanga, one of the main Irish language groups in the country, has resigned in a huff because there aren’t enough civil servants who can speak Irish. Now, I know that Seán Ó Cuirreáin, as the acting head of a body devoted to the Irish language has every right to be peeved about the lack of a working knowledge of Irish, but that’s not the point. The point is that, presumably, the only way for his concerns to be allayed would have been for the Government to pour more money down the endless toilet of the Irish language and send more civil servants off on a language training course.
He argues that Irish speakers are being discriminated against when they are forced to conduct official business through a cúpla focail and says: “Requiring the people of the Gaeltacht to conduct their business in English with state agencies flies in the face of any policy which suggests that the survival of the Gaeltacht is on the State’s agenda.” So far, so what? I very much doubt anybody, apart from the few cantankerous souls who stubbornly insist on costing the State money by demanding special accommodations for the language, really cares one way or the other if someone in Spiddal has to use their English name. I don’t mean to sound uncaring or inconsiderate here but … no, wait, I do. Because most people are sick to death with the juvenile posturing of the Gaelgeoirí Grenadiers who think that everyone should be as interested in a dead language as they are.
But in fairness to Mr Ó Cuirreáin, he has raised some very valuable arguments. For example, he accused the Government of ‘ hypocrisy’ by insisting that Irish be maintained on the respirator of being a mandatory subject, where it will never revive and is held in a kind of limbonic stasis, regularly drip fed just enough to keep it from completely flatlining. Don’t get me wrong, I have certainly views on Irish since I — sort of — lost an argument with former TG4 supremo Cillian Fennel. It was around the time of the station’s launch and we got into what could be politely described as a vigorous exchange of ideas on the subject. In my corner, the argument was that this was a ridiculous waste of taxpayers’ money being spent on something that, if it was an animal, we would have put out of our own misery.
Fennel believed equally passionately that the State has a duty to support the language and argued even more forcibly that the new channel would make the language hip again. Well, on that second point he was proved emphatically correct — TG4 is by far and away the most inventive and innovative broadcaster on this island. But I still don’t think it’s the Government’s job to fund it, or any other as Gaeilge boondoggle, for that matter. So if you think the Irish language is a vibrant part of our cultural identity? Well, good for you. There can never be anything wrong with learning and using a language. But you wouldn’t expect the Government to subsidise guitar lessons, or any other hobby. So why should we pay for something people can learn on their own time and, more importantly, their own dime?
www.independent.ie
Language chief quits over lack of Irish in civil service
December 5, 2013
THE head of one of the main Irish language groups has resigned, claiming many of those working for the civil service and other public bodies can only conduct business through English.
An Coimisineir Teanga Sean O Cuirreain accused the Government of being “hypocritical” on the issue. The former deputy head of Radio na Gaeltachta said the authorities insisted on Irish as a mandatory Leaving Cert subject – while at the same time denying citizens the provision of various services through Irish. An Coimisineir Teanga monitors compliance by public bodies with the Official Languages Act. Mr O Cuirreain was formally appointed as the first Coimisineir Teanga in 2004 and was reappointed for a second term in 2010. But yesterday he said that we were moving towards a situation where the use of English would be compulsory for citizens wishing to interact with public bodies. He said Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas were not being catered for, and warned it was now time to confront this issue “once and for all”.
SURVIVAL
“Requiring the people of the Gaeltacht to conduct their business in English with state agencies flies in the face of any policy which suggests the survival of the Gaeltacht is on the State’s agenda,” he said. He told a sitting of the Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions that the absence of staff competent in Irish was a key problem. Accordingly, recruitment and promotion in the civil service needed to be “immediately” examined. He stressed that the Official Languages Act should be reviewed in this context otherwise the process would be seen as “a fudge, a farce or a falsehood”. The Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge described the shock resignation as “undoubtedly the worst blow to the Irish language in many years”.
Donnchadh O hAodha, President of the Gaelic League, said he could “understand his reasons” for stepping down as the Government had made “bad decision after bad decision” in relation to the Irish language. Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Dinny McGinley said: “I regret, of course, that An Coimisineir has decided not to complete his term of appointment – which extends to April 2016. “
www.independent.ie
Resignation of Irish Language Commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin
December 5, 2013
Seán Ó Cuirreáin announced this evening that he is resigning from his role as Irish Language Commissioner.
Mr Ó Cuirreáin said he was concerned about the State’s lack of commitment to the protection of Irish speakers’ rights. The former deputy head of Radio na Gaeltachta said that he felt he was left with no other choice but to resign from his position. Mr Ó Cuirreáin was the first person to be appointed to the role of An Coimisnéir Teangain in 2004. Part of his remit was to ensure the implementation of Irish language legislation. His resignation is due to take effect in February.
www.independent.ie
Deireadh i ndán do 14 eagraíocht
November 20, 2013
New campaign aims to boost languages in our education
November 15, 2013
ENGLISH is no longer enough – that is the message of a new campaign to give languages a greater voice in education.
The big focus on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) has prompted concern that languages will get left behind.
While so-called STEM subjects are much in demand from employers, proficiency in foreign languages is also essential for many jobs.
Many businesses and industries operate in a global market, and their staff need to be able to communicate across the world.
Employers in Ireland regularly complain about the lack of home graduates with the necessary language skills.
Now the languages fightback has started, backed by more than 200 linguists, academics, teachers, parents and business leaders. It represents the first coming together of all levels of the education system, as well as business leaders and social entrepreneurs, to support language teaching and learning.
The One Voice for Languages campaign argues that employment is not the only reason for students to develop their linguistic skills.
They point to national and international research, demonstrating the direct benefits of language learning in boosting literacy, at both primary and post-primary level.
Proficiency in foreign languages also brings wider social and cultural benefits, they say.
French is the most popular language in the Leaving Certificate, taken by about 25,000 of over 55,000 candidates this year. A long way behind comes German, at about 6,600 candidates, Spanish with about 5,000, with Italian, Russian and Japanese trailing at around 300.
In the Leaving Certificate, male students are less likely to take languages than females.
Dr Ann Devitt, assistant professor in modern languages in Trinity College, said Ireland, with its own national language and migrant populations had the potential to become a place of rich linguistic diversity.
But this potential wealth was not being developed, with only 40pc of Irish people claiming they could hold a conversation in any second language – the fourth lowest rate in Europe, she said. Ireland is the only country in Europe, other than Scotland, where a non-indigenous language is not compulsory at any stage of the mainstream educational curriculum
www.independent.ie
