2019 ELECTIONS #Gaelvóta
Widespread support for #GaelVóta in Local and European Elections
Conradh na Gaeilge are asking the public to consider the #GaelVóta when voting on Friday, 24th of May, in Local Elections in the south and European elections in the north and the south
A wide range of candidates for the European Parliament in the north and the south, and most political parties putting candidates forward in the local elections in the south, have made promises to support the Irish language and the Gaeltacht should they be elected. There is further info below.
Local Elections (South): Friday, 24th of May 2019
European Elections (North & South): Friday, 24th of May 2019
Local Elections (North): Thursday, 2 May 2019
Local Elections (South):
Friday, 24th of May 2019
Conradh na Gaeilge are seeking three commitments from the parties in local elections. You can get information on the stances of parties here.
These commitments are in line with the aims laid out in the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language, to implement language plans, and to ensure cohesive, strategic development and promotion of the language:
1. That candidates, if elected, will work towards ensuring that your Local Authority employs a full time Irish Language Officer - or two Officers in constituencies which include Gaeltacht areas - if no such role already exists within the Authority at the moment.
2. That elected candidates will work towards ensuring that newly developed housing estates are given Irish-language names only, which would in turn improve the image of the language in the Local Authority’s area.
3. That candidates will ensure that the Local Authority develops and implements an Irish-Language Plan to promote Irish within its constituency.
Further information is available here.
European Elections (North & South):
Friday, 24th of May 2019
Conradh na Gaeilge are seeking three commitments from the candidates in the European elections. You can get information on the stances of parties here.
With regards the European elections, an emphasis was placed on the opportunities in the European Parliament to improve the status, development and the image of the Irish language. Conradh na Gaeilge have asked for the following commitments from Parliamentary candidates: 
1. That elected Members of the European Parliament will be willing to speak Irish regularly and as common practice in Parliament, or if they are not comfortable with their own standard of Irish, that they will improve upon their level in order to appropriately represent the people, and in particular the Irish-speaking community, in the European Parliament.
2. That elected members will be willing to give their full support to the process which will see the current Irish-language derogation brought to an end by the end of 2021.
3. That elected Members of the European Parliament will be willing to support the Gaeltacht and Irish-language communities to benefit from the policies and support schemes of the European Union in order to allow these communities to expand and prosper.
Further information is available here.
Local Elections (North):
Thursday, 2 May 2019
In total, six parties are supporting Irish language commitments in the upcoming local elections in the north. Alliance, Aontú, SDLP, Sinn Féin, PBP and Green Party have committed to ensuring local councils adopt Irish language policies that recognise and ensure the implementation of the Council’s obligations as laid out under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and include measures around taking ‘resolute action’, as laid out in the Good Friday Agreement. Furthermore, they have agreed that Irish language policies in local councils should be designed to assist in tackling prejudice and promoting tolerance and understanding of the Irish language.
Most of the parties also committed to support the provision of services through Irish in local councils, including the appointment of an Irish language officer in councils. In addition they have committed to promote visibility of the language through progressive policies on bilingual street signage that ensure the linguistic choice of local residents is facilitated.
Conradh na Gaeilge are greatly encouraged by the broad range of support from parties for the Irish language in the upcoming local elections. It is significant that now 6 parties are supporting the community in calling for an Irish language policy at local council level and now a majority of those parties are standing with a commitment for basic service and policy provision supporting the Irish language, which includes bilingual street signage. If implemented, this will go a long way in supporting local communities who continue to use and promote the Irish language daily.
In March this year the Welsh Language Commissioner launched research jointly compiled by Conradh na Gaeilge, CAJ and Ulster University ‘Local Councils, Obligations and the Irish Language: A Framework for Compliance’. The local election commitments we have laid out have all been identified as key fundamental actions in ensuring compliance with the relevant international and domestic treaties and agreements, namely, the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (2001), the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, The Good Friday Agreement (1998), and the St Andrew’s Agreement (2006). These commitments will ensure Local Government compliance with treaties that have been ratified and will greatly enhance the protection and promotion of Irish at local council level. We thank those parties for their continued support for the Irish language and we look forward to meeting with them in the coming days and weeks to further build on these commitments and to discuss future cooperation regarding the language.”
The list of the commitments from the parties can be found at this link. And the campaign video can be seen here.
We are very grateful to all that have helped in putting the commitments that we are looking for from the candidates and parties forward over the last few weeks and months.
OTHER ANSWERS
'OTHER ANSWERS' FROM FINE GAEL:
AN GHAEILGE A CHUR CHUN CINN I BPOBAIL
Tá cur chun cinn na Gaeilge i bpobail ar fud na tíre lárnach do thodhchaí na teanga agus d’fhonn na cuspóirí atá leagtha amach sa Straitéis Fiche Bliain don Ghaeilge a bhaint amach.
Tá oideachas ríthábhachtach maidir le forás a chur faoin teanga. Chomh maith leis na haidhmeanna atá leis an gcéad Pholasaí ón Stát don Oideachas Gaeltachta a seoladh sa bhliain 2016, caithfimid súil ar na bealaí is fearr chun forbairt Gaelscoileanna agus naíonraí a spreagadh i bpobail lasmuigh de na ceantair sheanbhunaithe Ghaeltachta. Tá tábhacht ar leith leis sin i dtaobh an phróisis pátrúnachta nua ina bhfuil vóta i gceist leis chun tuairimí tuismitheoirí agus caomhnóirí a fháil i leith scoileanna nua.
Tá rannpháirtíocht an phobail ríthábhachtach chun cur le líon na gcainteoirí Gaeilge. Spreagfaimid eagraíochtaí áitiúla chun imeachtaí Gaeilge a eagrú - ranganna agus gníomhaíochtaí eile ina measc.
Táimid i bhfách go mór le Líonraí nua Gaeilge a fhorbairt - in éineacht le líonraí atá ann cheana i gCluain Dolcáin, Inis agus Baile Locha Riach atá riachtanach chun tacú le ceantair nua Ghaeltachta a chruthú agus tacú leo.
'OTHER ANSWERS' FROM THE LABOUR PARTY:
1. An oibreoidh bhur gComhairleoirí lena chinntiú go bhfostóidh an tÚdarás Áitiúil Oifigeach Gaeilge lánaimseartha mura bhfuil duine fostaithe chuige seo cheana féin faoi láthair?
Inár bhforógra áitiúil, táimid tiomanta seirbhisí Comhairlí Áitiúla a bheith ar fáil do chách. Anuas air sin, beimid cinnte go mbeadh duine ar fáil i ngach Comhairle a mbeadh sásta labhairt leis an bpobal as Gaeilge chun deileáil le hiarratais. Ba cheart go mbeadh cumhacht gach Comhairle gníomhú ar son a gcuid pobal. Beidh Comhairleoirí Pháirtí an Lucht Oibre cinnte go bhfuil an chomhairle áitiúil ag co-oibriú leis an bpobal agus le grúpaí dheonacha agus phobail. Táimid go mór i bhfábhar féiltí Ghaeilge agus mórshiúil, cur chun cinn na Gaeilge san áireamh.
2. An oibreoidh bhur gComhairleoirí lena chinntiú go dtugtar ainmneacha i nGaeilge amháin d’fhorbairtí nua d’eastáit tithíochta i limistéar an Údaráis, rud a spreagfadh íomhá na Gaeilge sa limistéar de réir a chéile?
Tá Comhairleoirí Pháirtí an Lucht Oibre báúil d’ainmneacha eastáit tithíochta a bheith as Gaeilge, más é an forbróir agus / nó na cónaitheoirí a mholann sin.
3. An gcinnteoidh bhur gComhairleoirí go gcuireann an tÚdarás Áitiúil plean teanga le chéile chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn i gceantar an Údaráis?
Níl aon fheidhm faoi leith ag comhairlí áitiúla i leith Plean Teanga faoi láthair. Tá trí fheidhm ag comhairlí áitiúla a mholann Páirtí an Lucht Oibre tacú leis an teanga:
Forbairt leabharlainn
Glacadh le Creatlach Rannpháirtíocht Pobail Rialtas Áitiúil
Bunú ciste phobail chun tacú le tionscnamh pobail don teanga
