A senior member of Údarás na Gaeltachta has criticised plans to waive the requirement that applicants to An Garda Síochána be able to speak Irish. The plans will form part of an initiative to attract more recruits from ethnic minorities.
The regional chairman of Údarás in Donegal, Brian Ó Domhnaill, said the plans were a "retrograde step" and would undermine efforts to protect the Irish language.
"Given that the Irish language is now officially recognised as the first language of the State and has official recognition as a working language in the EU, it is absolutely disgraceful and totally unacceptable that proposals would be considered which would discriminate against our official language," he said.
"I'm not opposed to new inhabitants on this island, however, I am opposed to changing laws that discriminate against our own people . . . I'm against racism, but I'm also against discrimination of the Irish language, people and culture."
The Irish Times reported yesterday that the Government is set to agree changes to Garda entry requirements next month. It is expected that applicants will have to speak two languages, of which English or Irish must be one. However, it is likely that those unable to speak Irish will have to take classes to reach a certain proficiency in Irish.
The president of the Garda Representative Association, Dermot O'Donnell, has welcomed the plans. "The GRA broadly welcomes the recruitment of ethnic minorities to enhance the service the Garda provides to the Irish people," he said.
"However, we do feel that there is still a requirement for a public policing forum to enable Irish people and ethnic minorities to articulate the type of police service they require."
