IRISH LANGUAGE:TWO FINE Gael election candidates have differed with their party leader's approach to making Irish an optional subject only in the Leaving Cert.
Galway West candidates Cllr Seán Kyne and Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames acknowledged the anger about the proposal expressed yesterday by over 300 representatives of the Gaeltacht community, including mná na tithe, at a public meeting in Furbo, Co Galway.
The meeting, which was attended by Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív, election candidates Cllr Catherine Connolly (Ind) and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (SF), agreed to send a delegation to ask Mr Kenny to reverse his party’s policy.
Mr Kyne, who is canvassing in Connemara, said the Fine Gael party members in his area were "very upset" at Mr Kenny's assertion on Raidío na Gaeltachta's Adhmhaidínthis week that compulsory Irish for the Leaving Cert would be dropped by his party in government.
“We understood that the party policy on this was to conduct a review and consult with stakeholders before making a final decision,” Mr Kyne said. “I support the Fine Gael stance that there is a problem with teaching spoken Irish, but I think that taking a decision without consultation will cost us votes in the Gaeltacht areas.”
Ms Healy-Eames said her party was starting a “major debate on the teaching of the language”, but there would have to be an independent review and consultation before a final decision was taken.
Mr Ó Cuív, a former Gaeltacht minister, said it appeared Labour and Fine Gael were in agreement on the issue, which would have huge consequences for the language and Irish summer colleges.
Máire Denvir of Coláiste Chamuis in Connemara and spokeswoman for Comhchoiste Náisiúnta na gColáistí Samhraidh, the group representing summer Irish colleges, said every child should have the right to study the language, and a separate optional subject on the culture of the language. Fine Gael had “missed the point”; the curriculum had changed and would be in place by 2012.
Peadar MacFhlannchadha, of Conradh na Gaeilge in Galway, said summer colleges were worth €14 million in the Galway Gaeltacht alone based on 2007 figures.
The meeting acknowledged there were “problems” with the teaching of Irish in schools, but said the 20-year Irish language strategy, published late last year, would address this.