The Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019 is currently being discussed at Committee Stage in the Houses of the Oireachtas and Conradh na Gaeilge is calling for strong, measurable and ambitious legislation that will provide satisfactory services in Irish to the Irish language and Gaeltacht community for the first time since the foundation of the State in the south.
Dr Niall Comer, President of Conradh na Gaeilge say:
“The establishment of the State in the south has been celebrated in the last few years but it is a great shame 100 years later that the Gaeltacht and irish language community cannot yet receive a satisfactory service in Irish from the State. The Conradh is calling on Jack Chambers, Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Defense and Sport and Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and the Media to commit to change this. They can do this immediately by ensuring that strong, measurable and ambitious legislation is ensured when the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019, which is currently at committee stage in the Houses of the Oireachtas, is finalised. There should be a target of providing services in Irish in the Gaeltacht to the Gaeltacht community by 2030 and the recruitment target of 20% of future recruits to the public sector competent in Irish should be achieved by 2030.”
Julian de Spáinn, Secretary General of Conradh na Gaeilge says:
“The Conradh has been working with Ministers, opposition politicians and officials in the Department for a number of years on this legislation and many of our proposed amendments are included for discussion at Committee Stage shortly. We are also calling on the Irish language and Gaeltacht community to engage with the Ministers and TDs of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community to make sure that there will be certainty of services in Irish in the Gaeltacht, targets for Irish language recruitment in the public sector, and many other initiatives included in the Act when it is finalised. This is the only way we can see the State actually being able to provide fairness in the provision of satisfactory services in Irish. ”
