A chara, – Will the new Minister of State for the Gaeltacht have to have an interpreter as well as an adviser when he visits the Gaeltacht? – Yours, etc,
SEÁN Ó DÍOMASAIGH,
Kiltale,
Dunsany,
Co Meath.
A chara, – Joe McHugh is a politician of integrity and if he succeeds in becoming fully competent in Irish during the life of this Government, he will win many people’s respect. Is it not rather unfair that he was put in this position, however? – Yours, etc,
RONAN DOHERTY,
Cúirt Claremont,
Bóthar Fhionnghlaise,
Baile Átha Cliath 11.
Sir, - I see Éamon Ó Cuív and his fellow Gaeilgeoirí are up in arms over the lack of fluency in Irish of relevant Government Ministers. All he has succeeded in doing is getting people’s backs up all the more against Irish, which, whether he likes it or not, is a language spoken by very few, and cared about by even fewer.
The country has far more to be worrying about than whether or not Joe McHugh or any other Minister has the cúpla focal. – Yours, etc,
PEADAR O’SULLIVAN,
Highfield,
Carlow.
A chara, – Not so long ago we had a Minister for Finance who didn’t have a bank account. Now we have a Minister of State for the Gaeltacht who doesn’t have fluent Irish. It proves once again that in politics neck is more important than anything else. – Is mise,
JOHN GLENNON,
Bannagroe,
Hollywood,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Enda is now in charge of the mad hatter’s tea party where everything is the opposite of what it seems. Aon focal eile, Mr McHugh? – Yours, etc,
DECLAN BANNON,
Greenane,
Dunshaughlin,
Co Meath.
Sir, – It is only a few short months since the Irish Language Commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin resigned from his post because of perceived lack of Government support for or commitment to the implementation of what is supposed to be official policy towards the Irish language.
In particular, the then commissioner felt that his role in assisting Irish speakers to fulfil their right to deal with the State apparatus in their own language was being undermined. Many thousands of us took to the streets in recognition of his stand.
The Cabinet reshuffle is like a further slap in the face for the Irish-language community. We now have a situation that would be farcical if it were not so insulting.
For reasons of geographical distribution, or whatever, two able politicians have been appointed as senior and junior Ministers in the Department of the Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht, but neither of them is capable of communicating in Irish with the public bodies or the local communities or the many individuals who work in this particular field. They will be unable to perform many ministerial duties without giving offence. They will be unable to follow media debate on matters that are part of their brief. Their ability to lead Oireachtas affairs on language policy will be compromised.
Their appointment can only be said to add to the reasons why Seán Ó Cuirreáin felt obliged to resign in protest. – Yours, etc,
AODH Ó DOMHNAILL,
Charlesland Court,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
A chara, – Is it too impudent for me, an Irish speaker, to ask who will explain to me in my native tongue, Irish, still the State’s first official language, the rationale regarding future decisions to do with the Gaeltacht and An Ghaeilge? It’s clear that both the new Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, and the Minister of State, are not competent Irish speakers and will be unable to conduct interviews on either TG4 or Raidió na Gaeltachta – or indeed any of the surviving Irish language media – in the first language of the viewers, listeners and readers.
This is an increasingly fraught time in the Gaeltacht and throughout a growing Irish language community. We are not a “fringe”. The Government has made commitments in its programme for government and in various manifestos and has adapted the policy of previous governments with relation to the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, including the implementation of a 20-year plan for Irish.
Whatever the faults of the previous Minister of State, Dinny McGinley, and other Gaeltacht ministers in previous governments, they could still adequately explain and defend their decisions to the likes of me. – Is mise,
CONCUBHAR
Ó LIATHÁIN,
Cúil Aoda,
Co Chorcaí.
Sir, – We were promised a democratic revolution. What we have got is a cynical exercise in geographic clientelism that would make even Fianna Fáil blush. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL JOY,
Midleton,
Co Cork.
Sir, – Perish the thought that we would ape our neighbours. British prime minister David Cameron, in a predictable election strategy, sacks middle-aged men and older to make way for female ministers.
Our Taoiseach sacks middle-aged men and older, to make way for younger men.
Another coup for Fine Gael. – Yours, etc,
JOHANNA
LOWRY O’REILLY,
Moyne Road,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – What a pity Enda did not bring in more women to give his team a modicum of elegance, energy and elan. Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty, Mary Mitchell O’Connor and Michelle Mulherin would surely be a match for most of the incumbent Ministers of State, as would Ciara Conway and Anne Ferris on the Labour side. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL ANDERSON,
Moyclare Close,
Baldoyle,
Dublin 13.