Bríd Smith: Oireachtas underfunds Irish language in Gaeltacht
Bríd Smith spoke about funding for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, arguing that the Oireachtas underfunds the language and those who live and work in remote western areas. She urged that lessons from the Covid crisis — especially remote working and remote learning — should inform supports and budgetary decisions to sustain Irish.
Funding for the Irish language
She criticised persistent underfunding for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, saying the Oireachtas underfunds those who live in and try to remain and work in remote areas of Western Ireland. She noted that each year supporters of the language come to the budget seeking increased resources to halt declines in use.
Lessons from Covid and remote work
She argued that remote working and remote learning became features of life during the Covid crisis and that those lessons should be used to encourage population retention in areas where population and language use are falling. She stressed that proper supports must be put in place to make remote options viable for communities and language maintenance.
Urban interest and education
She said the desire among urban populations to learn and speak Irish is growing rapidly among young people. She referenced students and teachers, noting the role of education in promoting the language and the presence of Gaelcholáistí and Gael schools in supporting learners.
Media and cultural presence
She referenced media and cultural efforts connected to the Gaeltacht, mentioning TG Cahar and radio on the Gaeltachta and describing cultural activities and pop-up Gaeltacht events as part of the wider effort to promote Irish-language use.
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So, em, bwail oma rá, Seachta na Gaelge, gwa anion a laidu ar lín a ghini, a laurin gaelge, in Írhan a hairan, tra meidu ar lín a ghini, a laurin gaelge, in ar Mália, agus in ar Gathlaca, agus is siin níuach danna djarfaitha e sió. Sampla wán ag dylchon cín sió, mw Cianter Fein, a Mália Fhármach, le djéni fo níamar nínara, agus níis djéni, agus sbós, a wíl díéni ag chacht con te, agus caffi, agus bí a ool, agus cúpla fóchol a rá, caint la caint frasin, agus caffi a glíc, bachór doibh, chacht a stiach e ar maigin, tra a Gaelge a lauriton sió, agus cúlt events that a cúltúrli ag dylchon cín. Agus, em, bwail oam, a rá, go wíl sin tághe o hífna gana díéni, aga múir múir na díéni óge, mwyintián a hátia, a wíl cumpórdoch leis an Gaelge, agus a wíl a lánn gráddóibh leis an Gaelge, agus bríis an síd na bach híni a tá éan. So, an dúis lánn a tá ríf an o'rachtas, na an bállocos fáir cun an tíangha a chachgú, agus an bállocos fáir an tíangha a cúr cún cín. I am going to say the next bit in English because I think it is important that everybody hears that I think the Oireachtas underfunds the Irish language, underfunds the Gaeltocht, underfunds those who live in the Gaeltocht and try to remain there and work there in the remote areas of Western Ireland. I think we need to learn lessons from the Covid crisis, where remote working and remote learning became a feature of our lives, that we should look to encourage that in the areas where the population is dropping and in those regions where the language is also as a consequence, the use of the language is also falling. But we have to put the proper supports in place. Each year that we come to the budget, those who support the Irish language and who try to promote it come to us and ask us and beg us to try and get more and more funding for those areas of the West of Ireland where the Irish language is actually falling off. But I do not think it is all bad news because I do think that the desire among urban populations to learn and to speak and to use Irish is actually growing and growing quite rapidly among young people. I'm doing the job with the students, other students and other students. There is a lot of students in this school. I think that the teachers can help students. My students are in the college. I was in the college of school at the school in the college. I was in the college of college at the college. I was in the college of Gael. We found the students at the college of that college. The Gael School was a Man School and a New Bun School. I was the minister of the Gael School and the minister of the Gael School. I was the minister of the Gael School and the Gael School in the Gael. On the other hand, there's one team that's on Mulho, that's on TG Cahar and on the Radio on the Gaeltachta. There's a lot of TG Cahar that's on TG Cahar's job, that's on TG Cahar's culture and culture, that's on the culture and the culture of TG Cahar. And there's a lot more hand in the hand, that's on the right hand, on the left hand, on think, and that's what we like to do in the Gaelic. You get the nice of TG Cahar, you're doing a pop-up Gaelic, you get the nice of TG Cahar. I'll see you again. And this is all you've seen before, Agus Araig, Agus Suus, Law, good job.
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