Sir, - Maebh Ni Chathain, press officer of Bord na Gaeilge, wrote to you recently setting out the case for current Irish language policies in a generally well-balanced and moderate manner. However, when she writes that "there is also no discrimination against those who do not take their exams through Irish" she must be contradicted.
Paragraph 29 of the Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools lays down that those who answer their papers through Irish will automatically get bonus marks over and above those which they earn through the knowledge of their subjects. These extra marks are, of course, highly advantageous when it comes to the calculation of points for entry into third level, a fact which is well appreciated and diligently protected by the beneficiaries of the current system. That constitutes discrimination against all other pupils who sit these exams.
The letter also lays claim to democratic support in the community for the present revival policies. Well, yes, in a way. As with lots of other things, people take a detached view of the revival as long as it does not impinge on their lives very much. Obviously, no one at all, not even the most enthusiastic Gaeilgeoir, has any intention of changing their vernacular from English to Irish, and the only citizens who can be compelled to conform to the imagery of change are the children in school, and they only temporarily.
So, people accept current policies on the basis that for them the revival of Irish does not actually mean the revival of Irish.
That much accepted, it is clear that the only real drivers of the policy of language-change are the public officials (like Meabh) who are employed to manage the Government programme and the clients of those officials who are its beneficiaries. If there is not democratic support for the programme at least there is democratic indifference, which is all that is needed. The only citizens who might want to object are those who leave primary school illiterate, and, of course, they can't write to the papers. - Yours, etc., Donal Flynn,
Breffni Terrace, Sandycove, Co Dublin.