Madam, - Who does the Minister for Education and Science think she is - issuing a dictate to all gaelscoileanna that they must teach English to all their students? Compulsory English?
If I were in charge of a gaelscoil I would ignore the mouthings of Ms Hanafin and seek actively her immediate resignation - and I hope and trust that will be done.
Irish was my first language. I learnt English from my playmates long before I went to school. Of course every boy and girl should learn and study English, the language of Shakespeare and the most widely spoken language in the world. But all in good time, of course.
In the future every young Irish woman and man should be able to speak two continental languages as well as the language of this country. Only a small fraction of Irish people can speak Irish fluently at the moment, but that is changing. Mary Hanafin is motivated by the need to provide English for children of immigrants. By all means - but not at the expense of Irish in our gaelscoileanna.
Gaelscoileanna are one of the most successful components in the revival of the Irish language and do not impinge on anyone's rights. Minister Hanafin does. - Yours, etc,
MICHEÁL O NUALLÁIN, Monkstown, Co Dublin.