Skip to main content

Irish Language Debate in the Dáil

Thursday saw a debate in the Dáil, initiated by Sinn Féin, on the 20 year strategy for the Irish language.
There are aspects of Fine Gael policy that are totally contrary to the proposals contained in the 20 year strategy. For example they want to make Irish an optional subject for the leaving certificate, they want to end the 'Irish Speaker’s Scheme' and change the rules in relation to the establishment of new Gaelscoileanna which will make it much more difficult for Gaelscoileanna to become established in the future.
These proposals fly in the face of everything contained in the 20 Year Strategy.
Unless the Government adopts a radically different attitude its policies will have a serious detrimental affect on the Irish language.
In my contribution to the debate I said:
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an díospóireacht seo. Tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil sé ag dul ar aghaidh. Tá súil agam go mbeidh i bhfad níos mó plé anseo faoin Ghaeilge agus i bhfad níos mó gnó eile déanta trí Ghaeilge amach anseo. Sin an fís a bhí ag na daoine a bhunaigh an pharlaimint seo.
Tá súil agam go mbeidh an díospóireacht ina spreagadh do Ghaeilgeoirí, do fhoghlaimeoirí agus do dhaoine amuigh ansin atá báúil don Ghaeilge, thuaidh agus theas.
Ag tús an phróiséas síochána agus i rith na cainteanna roimh Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta chuir Sinn Féin ceist na Gaeilge sa Tuaisceart, agus ar an oileán ar fad, ar an chlár. As sin tháinig aitheantas don Ghaeilge, agus Foras na Gaeilge, agus don chéad uair tacaíocht don Ghaeilge ins na Sé chondae. Tháinig feabhas mór ar stadas ár dteanga náisiúnta sna Sé Chontae ó shin.
Ní aithníonn an Ghaeilge aon teorann ar an oileán seo. Is teanga uile-Éireann í má ta muid chun í a athshlanú is ar bhonn uile-Éireann a dheantar é. Tá tábhachtach le Foras agus le tacaíocht leanúnach ón dá thaobh den teorann chun cuidiú lena chuid oibre.
Is linne uilig an teanga, pé creideamh ná dearcadh polaitiúil atá againn.
Caithfidh muid seo a chur ina luí ar Rialtas na Breataine agus go háirithe ar ár gcairde, na hAondactóirí. Tá gá le fís s’againne faoin Ghaeilge a mhíniú dóibh agus a leiriú nach bagairt dóibh forbairt na Gaeilge agus an cultúr Gaelaigh.
Ta muid ag iarraidh pobal na Gaeilge a thogail ins an Tuaisceart, pobal a bhfuil cainteoirí ann, scoilteacha lán-Ghaeilge, áiteacha sóisialta, clubanna óige, féidireachtaí gairme, mean cumarsáide agus dlithe chun na cearta sin a chosaint sna cúirteanna.
Tá Sinn Féin ag déanamh ár ndicheall sa Roinn Oideachais ó thuaidh chun an Ghaeloideachais a fhorbairt. Thiug Caitriona Ruane deontais do chlubanna óige Ghaeilge fríd an Tuaisceart. Leanfaidh muid ar aghaidh leis an obair sin.
Fuair Sinn Féin airgead ó Rialtas na Breataine i rith cainteanna Hillsborough i ndiaidh troid mór ‘s ag cuir a lan bru, fá choinne an Ciste Craoltóireachta agus fuair muid airgead chun Ciste Infheistíochta a bhunaigh a chuideodh le forbairt gréasán Cultúrlanna.
Tá Gaeilgeoirí ó thuaidh ag iarraidh Gaeltachtaí uirbeacha a chruthú agus an timpeallacht thart orainn a Ghaelú. Shin ceist. Bh’feidir ta nios mo daoine ag caint Gaeilge i Bheal Feirste achan la na in Bhaile Atha Cliath. Níl fhios agam. Taobh amuigh do Uachtaran Obama
Banrion na Shasana.
Faoi stiúradh Conor Murphy mar Áire Timpeallachta tá busanna ag gabháil suas Bóthar na bhFál le comharthaí Gaeilge orthu.
Tá gá leis na hiarrachtaí seo bheith á forbairt ar bhonn uile-Éireann agus comh-oibriú idir na hinstitiúdaí ar an dá chuid den oileán seo chun tuilleadh éifeacht bheith leis an obair seo.
Beidh Sinn Féin an sasta a bheith ag obair leis Áire Jimmy Dennihan. Go n’eirigh an t’adh leis. Agus leis Carál Ní Chuilín, Áire nua sns Thuaisceart fosta.Tá Acht na Gaeilge againn ó dheas. Caithfidh muid sin a úsáid agus a fhorbairt. Tá Acht a dhíth ó thuaidh.
Mar shampla, a penal law, The Administration of Justice (Language) Act Ireland of 1737 decrees that all proceedings within courts of justice (mar dhea) there shall be within the English language.
Tá an Ghaeilge mí-dleathach sna cuirteanna ó Thuaidh. Tá gá le deireadh a chur leis an dlí seo anois.
Agus mar a dúirt mé tá Acht na Gaeilge a dhíth ansin.
Acht atá bunaithe ar na Bunphrionsapail seo a leanas-
• Cearta Gaeilgeoirí ag croí an Achta
• Achmhainní oiriúnacha leis an Acht a chur i bhfeidhm
• Coimisinéir na Gaeilge leis an Acht a mhaoirsiú.
Ní cheart go mbeadh eagla chóiche ar duine ar bith roimh an Ghaeilge.
Is linne uilig an saibreas agus an dúchas atá taobh istigh den teanga Gaeilge agus is ansin a bfhaighfidh muid croí agus anam na tire seo.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Bobby Sands.

In 1973 just before midnight on Christmas Eve, I was caught along with three other comrades attempting to escape from Long Kesh. We were among a large group of men and women interned without charge or trial. My first bout of internment was on the Maidstone Prison Ship in 1972. Internees-the British later called us detainees as part of their fiction that internment was ended – were held in Armagh Women’s Gaol, Belfast Prison, Magilligan, and Long Kesh. In July 1974 I was caught again in another escape bid. Steve McQueen I was not. The following March 1975 I was taken out to court where I was convicted on the first escape attempt and received an 18 month sentence. A month later I was convicted of the second escape attempt and got another three years. Then as the rest of the internees were being released a small group of us nearly got-aways were moved out of the internee end of Long Kesh to the top end of the camp where the sentenced POWs were held. We were incarcerated in Cage...

There can be no preconditions

Blog January 21st 10 Apparently the DUP were sitting up at Stormont Castle on Thursday waiting for the Shinners to come and talk to them. Strange. This Blog had told Peter Robinson late the evening before that that phase of our discussions was over. I told him there would be a Sinn Féin national officer board meeting on Thursday and a report from Martin McGuinness on the negotiations would be discussed. The failure of the DUP thus far to come up to the plate during the current round of negotiations shouldn’t come as any great surprise. The DUP are looking over their shoulder at Jim Allister and then there are the ‘secret’ talks between the UUs and the DUP and talk of electoral pacts. That’s their own business and nothing to get too excited about. Except to note they told us they couldn’t do any business on the Sabbath – the very day they were busy on unionist unity business. But lest we forget the DUP was born out of the anti civil rights politics of the late 60s and the firebrand unio...

A Heroic Leader – Joe McDonnell

Memorial to the Hunger Strikers in the grounds of the Roddy McCorley Club Joe McDonnell was great craic. He loved life and had a great sense of fun. He was optimistic, charismatic, a natural leader, and a practical joker. And he was a dedicated and committed IRA Volunteer who 29 years ago on July 8th 1981 died on hunger strike. I first met Joe during internment. We were being held on the Maidstone Prison ship in Belfast Lough. The conditions were punitive and primitive. After protests by us and following the imposition of British Direct Rule it was closed. We were moved to the cages in Long Kesh. Joe was one of hundreds of men and women incarcerated without trial. And although conditions were harsh in the cages he was always cheerful. Later when he commenced his hunger strike, four days after the death of his friend and comrade Bobby Sands, Joe sent me out from the H Blocks a King Edward cigar. Don’t ask me how he got it. Joe was the fifth man to join the hunger-strike. He was 29 yea...