Bhí slua mór de 150 duine i láthair ag an chruinniú phoiblí a d’eagraigh Guth na Gaeltachta agus Coiste Mhá Tí Thír Chonaill sa Chrannóg i nGaoth Dobhair Dé Máirt, 15 Feabhra.
Rinne Éamonn Mac Niallais cathaoirleach ar an chruinniú agus chuir sé tús leis go gairid i ndiaidh 7:00i.n. Mhínigh sé gurbh é príomhaidhm an chruinnithe plé a dhéanamh ar pholasaí Fhine Gael .i. deireadh a chur le stádas éigeantach na Gaeilge san Ardteist.
I ndiaidh dó na haoichainteoirí a chur in aithne: Dinny McGinley TD (Fine Gael), Pearse Doherty TD (Sinn Féin), An Seanadóir Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fáil), John Duffy agus Seán Ó Maolchallann (An Comhaontas Glas), thug Mac Niallais le fios go bhfuair sé leithscéal ón Tánaiste Mary Coughlan agus ó Frank McBrearty (Páirtí an Lucht Oibre).
Ina dhiaidh sin, léigh an cathaoirleach amach an ráiteas a fuair sé ón Chomhairleoir McBrearty. Bhí ábhar na litreach sin ag teacht le cuid mhór den phlé a bheadh le cloisteáil níos moille .i. cur i gcoinne pholasaí Fhine Gael!
Sular labhair na haoichainteoirí, thug Mac Niallais breac-chuntas ar an obair a bhí ar bun ag Guth na Gaeltachta ó bhí an cruinniú poiblí deiridh ann agus ar an ról neamhchlaonta a bhí sé ag glacadh mar ghrúpa tacaíochta neamhpholaitiúil, traspháirtí ar son na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta. Mhínigh sé tábhacht chriticiúil na hArdteiste i gcóras oideachais na hÉireann ina iomlán agus na himpleachtaí diúltacha a bheadh ag polasaí Fhine Gael ar ról na Gaeilge ar fud an chórais, ní hamháin ag leibhéal na hArdteiste.
Dá gcuirfí an polasaí i bhfeidhm, bheadh todhchaí na gcoláistí samhraidh Ghaeilge agus inmharthanacht eacnamaíochta phobal na Gaeltachta go mór i mbaol. D’aontaigh Gráinne Mhic Géidigh leis an mhéid sin agus í ag déanamh ionadaíochta do na Mná Tí.
Thug Seán Ó Maolchallann, agus é ag feidhmiú mar urlabhraí Gaeilge do John Arthur, breac-chuntas ar pholasaí an Chomhaontais Ghlais i dtaca leis an Ghaeilge de. Chuir sé deireadh lena chuid cainte ag rá go raibh a bpáirtí 150% i gcoinne pholasaí Fhine Gael! Rinne Pearse Doherty TD tagairt don dóigh ar sheol Sinn Féin a chuid moltaí i leith na Gaeilge taobh amuigh de Cheanncheathrú Fhine Gael ní ba luaithe sa lá. Dúirt sé go raibh a pháirtí iontach go deo míshásta le polasaí Fhine Tugadh cuireadh do Thomas Pringle (Neamhspleách) agus do Ann Sweeney (Neamhspleách) freastal ar anchruinniú fosta. Tugadh le fios nár fhreagair siad. Gael agus go mbeadh impleachtaí tromchúiseacha eacnamaíochta ann do phobail Ghaeltachta dá gcuirfí i bhfeidhm é.
Ba é Dinny McGinley TD an chéad chainteoir eile. Dúirt sé go mbeadh sé féin go pearsanta go mór in éadan aon rud a dhéanfadh dochar don Ghaeltacht nó don Ghaeilge.
Mhaígh sé nár cuireadh ina luí air go fóill nach ndéanfadh an athrú polasaí seo dochar don Ghaeltacht nó don Ghaeilge ach go raibh sé ag fanacht le fáil amach cén toradh a bheadh ar an phróiseas taighde agus comhairliúcháin a gheall Éanna Ó Cionaoith.
Dúirt sé afach go raibh neart gnéithe dearfacha ag baint le polasaí Fhine Gael chomh maith agus chuir sé béim ar a thiomantas pearsanta féin don teanga agus ar a chuid iarrachtaí Gaeilge a úsáid chomh minic agus is féidir leis in imeachtaí na Dála.
Dúirt sé go raibh sé féin míchompordach leis an pholasaí ach gur léirigh taighde ar nós an Staidéir Chuimsithigh Theangeolaíoch (2007) go raibh an Ghaeilge i mbaol báis mura ndéanfaí bearta radacacha.
Ba é an Seanadóir Brian Ó Domhnaill an polaiteoir deiridh a labhair. Thug sé achoimre ar an dul chun cinn a rinneadh le blianta beaga anuas: TG4, Foras na Gaeilge, Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, Stádas Oifigiúil agus Oibre san AE agus Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge.
Dúirt sé go raibh a pháirtí dubh in éadan pholasaí Fhine Gael fosta agus, cosúil leis na cainteoirí eile, labhair sé faoin tionchar diúltach eacnamaíochta a bheadh ag a leithéid de pholasaí ar cheantair Ghaeltachta.
I ndiaidh cloisteáil ó na polaiteoirí uilig, chuir an cathaoirleach fáilte roimh cheisteanna ón urlár. Ba léir ón chéad chainteoir go bhfuil polasaí Fhine Gael ina cnámh spairne i measc phobal na Gaeltachta. Níor cuireadh fiacail ann!
D’éist na polaiteoirí le tuairimí an lucht éisteachta agus ní raibh dabht ar bith ar McGinley go bhfuil an pobal thar a bheith míshásta le polasaí Fhine Gael agus go bhfuil an-imní orthu fá dtaobh de. Iarradh ar an pholaiteoir sinsearach a mhíniú cén dóigh a ndearna a pháirtí a leithéid de chinneadh; an ndearna breithniú cúramach air nó an é gur cleas a bhí ann, dírithe ar vótaí a tharraingt i gceantair uirbeacha?
Mar pháirt den phlé agus caibidil, d’admhaigh McGinley nach ndeachthas i gcomhairle leis riamh ó thaobh cheapadh pholasaí Gaeilge Fhine Gael. Ní raibh sé ábalta a mhíniú ach an oiread cén taighde go sonrach a d’úsáid a pháirtí agus é ag ceapadh an pholasaí. Rinne McGinley iarracht fearg an lucht éisteachta a cheansú, ag rá go mbeadh sé ag súil go ndéanfaí comhairliúchán agus taighde mar is ceartsula ndéanfaí aon athrú ar stádas na Gaeilge.
D’iarr Éamonn Mac Niallais ar an Fheisire McGinley sampla iarrthóirí eile de chuid Fhine Gael a leanúint; chuir baill áirithe den pháirtí i nGaeltacht Chiarraí agus i nGaeltacht na Gaillimhe in iúl go hoscailte d’Éanna Ó Cionaoith go raibh siad in éadan an pholasaí seo. Cuireadh deireadh leis an chruinniú i ndiaidh an tseisiúin ceisteanna agus freagraí.
Ghabh an cathaoirleach buíochas le gach duine a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht agus d’impigh sé ar gach duine an achainí ar líne a shíniú in éadan pholasaí Fhine Gael(www.petitiononline.com/gaeilge/petition.html).
Lena chois sin, d’iarr sé ar gach duine ceist na Gaeilge a ardú leis na polaiteoirí uilig nuair a thiocfaidh siad a chuardach vótaí agus go bhfreastalódh siad ar an chéad chruinniú poiblí eile a bheadh ag na polaiteoirí (Dé Luain seo chugainn in Ionad Naomh Pádraig, Dobhair) leis an scéal seo a phlé arís.
Gaeltacht community opposed to Fine Gael’s Irish language policy.
A large crowd of 150 attended the public meeting organised by Guth na Gaeltachta and Coiste Mhná Tí Thír Chonaill in An Chrannóg, Gaoth Dobhair, on Tuesday 15 February. The meeting was chaired by Éamonn Mac Niallais and he got proceedings underway shortly after 7:00pm.
He explained that the purpose of the meeting was primarily to discuss Fine Gael’s policy of ending the compulsory status of Irish in the Leaving Certificate.
After introducing the guest speakers: Dinny Mc Ginley TD (Fine Gael), Pearse Doherty TD (Sinn Féin), Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fáil), John Duffy and Seán Ó Maolchallann (Green Party) Mac Niallais relayed apologies from An Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and Councillor Frank McBrearty (Labour).
The chairman then read out the statement he had received from Councillor McBrearty. The content of that letter set the tone for the night i.e. vehement opposition to Fine Gael’s policy!
Before hearing from the guest speakers, Mac Niallais outlined the work Guth na Gaeltachta had been involved in since its last public meeting and the impartial role that it was undertaking as a non-political cross-party support group for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht.
He explained the critical importance of the Leaving Certificate in the Irish education system as a whole and how Fine Gael’s policy would have a disastrous impact on the role of the Irish language throughout the system, not just for the Leaving Cert.
As a result, the future for the Irish Summer Colleges and the very economic viability of Gaeltacht communities would be severly threatened.
This view was strongly echoed by Gráinne Mhic Géidigh who was representing the Mná Tí.
Seán Ó Maolchallann, acting as a spokesperson for John Duffy, outlined the Green Party’s policy on the Irish language. He finished by saying that their party was 150% opposed to Fine Gael’s policy! Pearse Doherty TD referred to the launch of Sinn Féin’s Irish language proposals outside Fine Gael HQ earlier that day.
He expressed his party’s dismay at Fine Gael’s policy and spoke of the terrible economic consequences for Gaeltacht communities.
Thomas Pringle (Independent) and Ann Sweeney (Independent) had also been invited to the meeting.
The audience was told that they had not responded.
Dinny McGinley TD was the next to speak. He spoke of his personal opposition to any attempt to harm the Gaeltacht or the language. He remained to be convinced that Fine Gael’s policy would not be harmful to both but that he was waiting to see what the outcome would be of the research and consultation process that Enda Kenny had promised.
He said however that there were many positive measures in Fine Gael’s policy as well and he stressed his own commitment to the language and his efforts to use Irish as often as possible in Dáil proceedings.
He stated that he was uncomfortable with the policy but that research such as the Comprehensive Linguistic Survey of 2007 showed that the future of the Irish language was in jeopardy unless radical steps were taken.
Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill was the last of the politicians to speak. He outlined the progress made in recent years: TG4, Foras na Gaeilge, Official Languages Act, EU status and the 20 Year Strategy. He voiced his party’s opposition to Fine Gael’s policy and, like other speakers, referred to the negative economic impact such a change would have on Gaeltacht areas.
After hearing from all the politicians the chair invited questions from the audience. It was clear from the first speaker that Fine Gael’s policy is a very sore point amongst the Gaeltacht community.
Speaker after speaker left McGinley in no doubt that the community is very upset and worried about the Fine Gael proposal. He was asked to explain how his party had arrived at such a decision; had it been carefully considered or was it a populist move designed to attract votes in urban areas?
One of the most robust exchanges of the night saw McGinley admit that he had never been consulted on the formulation of Fine Gael’s Irish language policy. He was also at a loss to explain what specific research had been used by the party in devising its policy. McGinley attempted to calm the audience’s fears by saying that that he hoped proper consultation and research would be carried out before any changes were made to the status of Irish.
Éamonn Mac Niallais asked that Deputy McGinley do as other Fine Gael candidates in the Kerry and Galway Gaeltacht had already done and express openly to Enda Kenny his opposition to this policy. He brought the meeting to a close after the question and answer session. He thanked everyone for attending and urged everyone to sign the online petition against Fine Gael’s proposal (www.petitiononline.com/gaeilge/petition.html).
He also appealed to people to raise the issue of the Irish language with all politicians when they come looking for votes and to attend next Monday’s public meeting in Ionad Naomh Pádraig, Dobhar to raise the issue again.