Government Statement on the Irish Language

Almost 1.6 million people in the Republic of Ireland can speak Irish and 92% of people surveyed feel that promoting the Irish language is important to the country, to themselves personally or to both. These facts underpin “The Irish Government: Statement on the Irish Language 2006” launched by the Cabinet in Farmleigh House today.

Speaking at the launch, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that this statement marks a major evolution in national policy on the Irish language. “The aim of 20^th century Government policies was to reinstate Irish as the main language spoken by the people, but the Government now plan to focus firmly on the practical development of a bilingual society where as many people as possible use both Irish and English with equal ease.”

This statement commits the Government to the development of a twenty-year strategy based on 13 objectives including;

Full implementation of the Official Languages Act and facilitation of the public’s right to use Irish in dealings with the State.
Provision of a wide range of services to parents who wish to raise their children through Irish.
Continuous development of high-quality broadcast services through Irish, especially on TG4, RTÉ and Raidió na Gaeltachta.
Special support for the Gaeltacht as an Irish-speaking area.
Continuation of teaching of Irish as an obligatory subject from primary to Leaving Cert level while fostering oral and written competence.
Enhanced investment in professional development and ongoing support for teachers as well as in provision of textbooks and resources and in support for innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
Further development of all-Irish secondary education.

Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs said that the Government’s very clear position is that Irish belongs to everyone, at all levels of fluency. “Continuing commitment by successive Governments to the language has ensured that the number of Irish speakers is now actually increasing in one Census after another. I hope that this statement is seen as a foundation for a new policy on which practical action with regard to the Irish language, based on a modern approach and a complete strategy, will be established.”

The following arrangements shall be made in preparing the strategy:

Fóram na Gaeilge will have an advisory role in advising the Minister in relation to the strategy.
A person shall be appointed in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to direct the work on a daily basis.
€300,000 has been set aside to cover costs related to the preparation of the strategy in the next two years.
Experts will be employed on a contract basis to advise the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Government in relation to the strategy and worldwide expertise will be used in order to complete the work.
The deadline for preparation of the strategy is two years.
The public will be consulted when necessary during preparation of the strategy, as public support for the statement and for the strategy is vital.

The Tánaiste, Michael McDowell T.D. said that as the Gaelscoil movement thrives and initiatives like TG4 grow in popularity, the language is experiencing an unprecedented revival. “The fact that we have almost 100,000 people throughout the country who speak Irish on a daily basis outside school, is undoubtedly due to the Constitutional, legal and practical protection afforded to Irish in a post-independence society.”

The Government Statement on the Irish Language also commits to giving every assistance and support to the Institutions of the European Union in implementing the decision to make Irish a working and official language in the EU from 1^st January 2007.This is a major step forward for the language, both at home and abroad. For the first time, Irish will be spoken and understood in the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. The Government will continue to work closely with the Institutions to help build Irish language capacity as this new and greatly enhanced status for Irish takes effect.

In keeping with the spirit of the Government Statement on the Irish Language, Farmleigh House will be holding a Lá Gaelach (Irish Day) on Thursday the 21^st of December. Co-ordinated by Seachtain na Gaeilge, with the assistance of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Lá Gaelach is designed to cater to all, from those with just the ‘cúpla focal’, to fluent Irish speakers. Further information available on www.farmleigh.ie

Further information: 01 6473130; Éadaoin Ní Mhonghaile 087 8519913

Editor’s Note

Fóram na Gaeilge constitutes relevant State Departments (The Department of Education and Science and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs), organisations that have a central role in relation to the Irish language such as Foras na Gaeilge, Údarás na Gaeltachta, TG4, Raidió na Gaeltachta and the voluntary sector.

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