Just Six Parties sign up to key Irish language commitments

Conradh na Gaeilge launched it’s #Gaelvóta campaign in Belfast ahead of Thursday’s Assembly Elections. Conradh na Gaeilge contacted all political parties and independent candidates in the north several times in April.

As part of the #Gaelvóta campaign election commitments were sought on the following 5 issues:

1. The implementation of Irish language Legislation
2. The adoption and implementation of the Irish Language 20 Year Strategy 
3. The development of an Irish Medium Education Bill through the Assembly
4. New support for languages to be a core GCSE subject in secondary schools
5. Priorities Education and Communities in any possible d’Hondt picks

Just six of the Parties signed up to the majority of the #Gaelvóta commitments: Aontú, Alliance, Green Party, SDLP, Sinn Féin and PBP, alongside several independent candidates.

As of 3 May 2022, Conradh na Gaeilge had not received a single response from any of the Unionist Parties (DUP, UUP, TUV), nor from any of the independent unionist candidates. 

Speaking after today’s launch, Michaeline Donnelly, Tanáiste of Conradh na Gaeilge, commented:

As we have seen since the incredible community campaign for language rights kickstarted in 2017, there is strong broad party support for the Irish language, Irish language rights and for Irish medium education. In the 2017 Assembly elections, that support translated into 5 parties and 50 out of the 90 MLAs who actively supported the introduction of an Irish language Act. That cross-party coalition in favour of language rights has stayed the course and remains steadfast and strong in the run up to the 2022 Assembly elections. The #Gaelvóta campaign seeks to provide voters with the latest facts and figures regarding parties, candidates and their pledges or stance on the Irish language. We will be sharing the responses we have received, broken down by party and also by constituency, with the community and online throughout the week.

Conchúr Ó Muadaigh, Advocacy Manager with Conradh na Gaeilge, added:

The 2022 #Gaelvóta really is a story of two tales. On one hand we see a progressive, strong coalition of parties who have signed up to supporting the Irish language through legislation, through a strategy and through increased education provisions. And on the other hand, we have all Unionist parties and all other Unionist independent candidates refusing to respond to our election pledges. That is incredibly disappointing. We offered all of those parties an opportunity to meet with the Irish language community to discuss these issues. Again, our correspondence was met with silence. That shows an incredible lack of respect to Irish speaking families, learners and  Irish language schools that exist and are flourishing right across the community. To those parties who have signed up to the #Gaelvóta Irish language commitments, we thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to meeting you in the coming weeks to discuss making those commitments an immediate reality. 

All of the #Gaelvóta responses, alongside the Party responses, and broken down by constituency, can be accessed in full here: https://cnag.ie/en/campaigns/ongoing-campaigns/gaelv%C3%B3ta-ae22.html 

“Fíor easpa measa” is ea diúltú na bPáirtithe agus na n-iarrthóirí aontachtacha freagra a thabhairt ar fheachtas Chonradh na Gaeilge roimh an toghchán

Tá feachtas toghchánaíochta #Gaelvóta de chuid Chonradh na Gaeilge seolta inniu i gCultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich i mBéal Feirste. Beidh toghchán an Tionóil ó thuaidh ann Déardaoin na seachtaine seo, 5 Bealtaine 2022. Le linn Aibreáin rinne Conradh na Gaeilge teagmháil roinnt uaireanta le gach páirtí agus le gach iarrthóir neamhspleách ó thuaidh.

Mar chuid den fheachtas #Gaelvóta lorgaíodh coimitmintí toghchánaíochta ar na hábhairt seo a leanas:

1. Tacú le Reachtaíocht don Ghaeilge tríd an fheachtas #AchtAnois, fríd an Tionól mar thosaíocht nó fríd Westminster
2. Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge a aontú agus a chur i bhfeidhm
3. Bille úr a fhorbairt chun an Ghaelscolaíocht a chosaint agus a chur chun cinn
4. Teangacha a aithint mar chroí-ábhair TGMO sna Scoileanna Béarla
5. An Roinn Oideachais agus an Roinn Pobal a aithint mar thosaíocht agus Ranna Rialtais á roghnú

Thacaigh 6 Pháirtí le tromlach na n-éileamh thuasluaite: Aontú, Páirtí na Comhghuaillíochta, Páirtí Glas, SDLP, Sinn Féin agus Pobal Seachas Brabús, mar aon le roinnt iarrthóirí neamhspleácha.

Faoi am foilsithe an ráitis seo inniu, 3 Bealtaine 2022, ní bhfuarthas aon fhreagra ó aon cheann de na páirtithe aontachtacha (DUP, UUP, TUV) nó ó aon cheann de na hiarrthóirí aontachtacha neamhspleácha. 

Agus cruinniú an lae inniu thart, dúirt Michaeline Donnelly, Tanáiste, Conradh na Gaeilge:

Mar atá feicthe againn ó tháinig dlús úr faoin fheachtas mhór #AchtAnois ó 2017 ar aghaidh, tá tacaíocht láidir thraspháirtí ann don Ghaeilge, do chearta teanga agus don Ghaelscolaíocht. Agus muid ag dul don obair seo do na toghcháin in 2017, bhí 5 pháirtí ar éirigh leo suíocháin a bhaint sa Tionól a bhí ag tacú go poiblí le hAcht Gaeilge. Mhair an chomhghuallaíocht thraspháirtí sin ó shin agus mar a léiríonn na freagraí atá faighte againn tá an tacaíocht sin ann don Straitéis, don Ghaelscolaíocht agus don Ghaeilge sna scoileanna Béarla, mar aon leis an tacaíocht leanúnach d’Acht Gaeilge. Is é an aidhm atá leis an fheachtas #Gaelvóta ná firicí a bhailiú maidir le seasamh na bpáirtithe ar na mórcheisteanna Gaeilge agus an t-eolas sin a roinnt leis an phobal. Beidh an t-ábhar sin ar fad mar aon leis na freagraí uilig a fuarthas ar fáil ar líne agus ar na meáin shóisialta le linn na seachtaine seo. 

Conchúr Ó Muadaigh, Advocacy Manager with Conradh na Gaeilge, added:

Insíonn freagraí #Gaelvóta 2022 dhá scéal éagsúla dúinn. Ar lámh amháin tá comhghuallaíocht láidir thraspháirtí ann atá ag seasamh le chéile ag tacú le cearta teanga agus soláthar meadaithe oideachais don Ghaeilge. Ar an lámh eile, dhiúltaigh gach páirtí agus iarrthóir aontachtach freagra a thabhairt ar na héilimh. Is údár ollmhór díomá é an diúltú sin. Thug muid rogha do na páirtithe sin cruinniú a dhéanamh linn agus na hábhair a phlé agus a scrúdú, dá mba mhian leo. Arís eile, níor fhreagair aon pháirtí nó iarrthóir aontachtach an comhfhreagras sin a seoladh chucu roinnt uaireanta. Léiríonn sin fíor easpa measa ar theaghlaigh, ar fhoghlaimeoirí agus ar scoileanna Gaeilge atá ag plé leis an teanga ar fud an phobail mhóir. Maidir leis na páirtithe siúd a thacaigh leis na héilimh ar na mallaibh, gabhann muid ár mbuíochas leo as ucht na tacaíochta sin, agus tá muid ag súil le bualadh leo sna seachtainí atá amach romhainn leis na héilimh a phlé agus a fhíorú gan a thuilleadh moille. 

Is féidir gach eolas maidir le #Gaelvóta, seasamh na bpáirtithe agus briseadh síos na bhfreagraí de réir toghcheantair a aimsiú anseo: http://bit.ly/gaelvota22