Éileamh Idirnáisiúnta ann d’Acht Gaeilge mar aon le tacaíocht cúig pháirtí agus 50 as 90 CTR nua-thofa ó thuaidh
I dtuarascáil mhonatóireachta atá foilsithe inniu (9 Márta 2017) ag an Choiste Chomhairleach don Chreat-Choinbhinsiún um Chosaint na Mionlach Náisiúnta, tá cáineadh láidir déanta siocair nach ann d’aon reachtaíocht cosanta agus forbartha Gaeilge faoi mar a gealladh i gComhaontú Chill Rímhinn 2006.
Moltar sa tuairisc, i measc rudaí eile a bhaineann le cúrsaí forbartha Gaeloideachais agus craoltóireachta;
- ‘Go nglacann an Feidhmeannas ó thuaidh le reachtaíocht cosanta agus forbartha don Ghaeilge agus go nglacann siad na céimeanna chun dul chun cinn ar chearta teanga a chinntiú do dhaoine a bhaineann leis an mhionlach Gaeilge’;
- ‘Go gcuideoidh Rialtas na Breataine an comhdhearcadh polaitiúil a chruthú atá de dhíth chun go nglacfaí leis an reachtaíocht seo’.
Neartaíonn an tuairisc seo na moltaí ceanna a rinneadh nuair a foilsíodh an 6ú Tuarascáil Thréimhsiúil de chuid an Choiste um Chearta Eacnamaíochta, Sóisialta agus Cultúrtha (CESCR), a dhéanann imscrúdú ar chur i bhfeidhm ‘An Cúnant Idirnáisiúnta ar Chearta Eacnamaíocha, Sóisialta agus Cultúrtha’ (ICESCR) (27 Meitheamh 2016). Moltar sa Tuarascáil Thréimhsiúil ICESCR athuair, mar a mhol siad ina 5ú Tuarascáil Thréimhsiúil i Meitheamh 2009, go nglacann an Stát le hAcht Gaeilge.
Deir Uachtarán Chonradh na Gaeilge, Dr Niall Comer:
“Cuireann an tuairisc seo béim ar ról soiléir Rialtas na Breataine i dtaobh an 'tacaíocht' a chothú i dtaobh an Achta de. Is léir nach bhfuil seo déanta acu in ainneoin a gcoimitmintí - ní amháin i dtaca le Comhaontú Chill Rímhinn ach na conarthaí idirnáisiúnta a dhaingnigh siad agus a leagann freagrachtaí soiléire orthu i dtaobh chaomhnú agus chosaint na Gaeilge anseo. Ní seo an chéad uair go bhfuil rialtas na Breataine cainte ag coiste idirnáisiúnta mar seo i ngeall ar an easpa dul chun cinn ar cheist na Gaeilge ach tá súil againn, leis an aird dírithe ar cheist na Gaeilge faoi láthair go bhfuil deis ann soláthar sásúil a chur i bhfeidhm gan a thuilleadh mhoille.”
Deir Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, Bainisteoir Abhcóideachta, Conradh na Gaeilge:
“Tacaíonn an tuairisc is déanaí seo ó Chomhairle na hEorpa leis an mhéid atá le rá ag pobal na Gaeilge le blianta fada anuas - nach bhfuil forbairt shásúil déanta ar cheist reachtaíochta cosanta don teanga, in ainneoin na coimitmintí soiléire a d'eascair ó Chill Rímhinn. Tagann an tuairisc seo sna sála ar mholtaí soiléire ó na Náisiúin Aontaithe a d'éiligh ar Rialtas na Breataine Acht a chur i bhfeidhm mar thosaíocht. Tá tacaíocht leathan idirnáisiúnta ann don Acht agus anois móraimh sa Tionól nua thofa agus 50 as 90 CTR ag tacú leis an éileamh réasúnta seo. Anois am don ghnímh - Acht Anois!”
NÓTA DON EAGARTHÓIR:
Is féidir teacht ar an tuarascáil ar fad anseo:
http://www.coe.int/en/web/minorities/united-kingdom
http://www.coe.int/en/web/minorities/home
Seo a leanas roinnt de na mór-phointí i dtaobh na Gaeilge faoi mar a luaitear iad sa tuarascáil:
Recommendations for immediate action
The report from the Council of Europe:
- Calls on the Executive to: “adopt appropriate legislation protecting and promoting the Irish language and take measures to ensure progress on language rights of persons belonging to the Irish minority”
- Calls on the UK Government to: “to help create the political consensus needed for such adoption.”
- Calls on the Executive to: “renew and intensify their efforts to develop Irish-medium education and Irish language teaching”
- Calls on the relevant authorities to: “take resolute action to ensure that revision of the BBC Charter improves access to the media for persons belonging to national and ethnic minorities, increases funding, ensures a variety of programmes in minority languages, in particular the Irish language, involves minorities in their production”
- Calls on the Executive to endeavour to: “implement the ‘good relations’ duty as provided under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 in a manner that does not run counter to the equality duty and that does not prevent access to rights of persons belonging to all national and ethnic minorities”
Points/Criticisms
The report from the Council of Europe:
- Says that: “Sectarian politics in Northern Ireland combined with a static interpretation of the notion of ‘good relations’ prevents the Executive from revising equality legislation and appears to have stalled the adoption of an Irish Language Bill.”
Says that: “The apparent gridlock in the power-sharing arrangement has prevented adoption of the Irish Language Bill. The lack of progress on language rights of persons belonging to a national minority is emblematic of a wider practice of sectarian-driven policy making that appears to dominate the political process, pushing the protection of the rights of other national and ethnic minorities to the fringes”
Says that: “Northern Ireland does not interpret the ‘good relations’ duty as including a duty to tackle racism, including sectarianism. Instead, the lack of proper definition allows this notion to be used rather as a ‘tool’ to set aside politically contentious issues, such as legislating on the Irish language, and to justify a “do-nothing” attitude, eventually based on ‘perceptions’ rather than objective criteria.”
Says that: “Interlocutors of the Advisory Committee indicated that Irish language broadcasting has less statutory protection and funding under the Communications Act 2003 and the BBC’s Charter than Welsh and Scottish Gaelic. The Advisory Committee also noted that there is no longer an Irish language newspaper in Northern Ireland.”
Says that it: “regrets that there has been little progress on the Irish Language Bill or a strategy for the development and enhancement of the Irish language. Notwithstanding public support, the Northern Ireland Executive rejected the competent minister’s proposal for the Irish Language Bill and strategy. The Advisory Committee understands that the main reason not to introduce the draft documents in the Assembly is the lack of political consensus, in particular among Unionist politicians who openly indicated that they would oppose the proposals. The implementation costs of the Bill and a strategy have been regularly mentioned by politicians as prohibitive in the current difficult financial climate. A separate strategy for 2015-2035 to enhance and develop Ulster-Scots language, heritage and culture appears to have followed the same fate. The financial constraints argument has been also applied to repeal of the 1737 Administration of Justice (Language) (Ireland) Act. This Act prohibits the use of any language other than English in the courts of Northern Ireland.”
