Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill, President of Conradh na Gaeilge
Conradh na Gaeilge are urgently calling for the Official Languages Act to be strengthened following the publication of the Coimisinéir Teanga’s annual report.
Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill, President of Conradh na Gaeilge, said the quantity of complaints made to the Language Commissioner during 2015, the largest amount since the office’s inception in 2004, is proof that the state service is continuously failing to provide fitting services in Irish to citizens of this country.
“Conradh na Gaeilge insists that this fact must be accepted and that focus must be immediately directed to strengthening the Official Languages Act Conradh na Gaeilge also contend that the failure of the Language Scheme system, which is part of the current Act, must be realised and that it is necessary to ensure that a new system, a system based on the standard of service, be a central part of the amended Act”.
Peadar Mac Fhlannchadha, Vice General-Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge, said it is appropriate that Rónán Ó Domhnaill has referred to the lack of jobs that have Irish as a necessary component recognised by Government Departments.
“This goes to the heart of the matter regarding lack of service in Irish for the people. Without staff fluent in Irish there can be no Irish-language service. It is essential that recruitment is central in State policy to ensure services for the Gaeltacht and Irish-speaking communities.”
Mac Fhlannchadha continues “The reference the Coimisinéir Teanga makes to “grave questions” regarding the will of the State to provide services of an equal standard as are provided in English is, however, a cause for concern. There is a resonance here with the words of the President of Ireland, Micheál D Ó hUiginn, over the weekend, as he referred to the lack of visibility of the Irish-language at upper levels of the Civil State system and it is clear that this issue needs urgently addressed.
Conradh na Gaeilge support the recommendation made by the Coimisinéir Teanga that direct action should be taken now to strengthen the Official Languages Act.
Conradh na Gaeilge also share the Commissioner’s view that direct action should be taken based on the recommendations from the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and Gaeltacht, from the public consultation and from the input made directly by the Commissioner himself regarding the application and operation of the Act for Oireachtas Committees and from the observations published by his Office regarding the working directive of the Act.
