Aсht Anоis

Ní dhéanann an Ghaeilge dochar d’aon duine. Ní baol do dhuine ar bith í. Is í ár gcultúr, ár n-oidhreacht, ár máthairtheanga. Is rud í ba chóir a chothú agus rud ar chóir a bheith ann dár bpáistí a fhoghlaim. Le fada ró-fhada táimid ag iarraidh go ndéanfaí meas ar ár gcearta bunúsacha teanga. Tá an cheart againn Gaeilge a labhairt, agus leas a bhaint as seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge.

Síníodh Comhaontú Chill Rímhinn i nDeireadh Fómhair 2006. Mar chuid den chomhaontú, gheall rialtas na Breataine Acht Gaeilge don taobh ó thuaidh i Westminster mura dtiocfaidh sé chun cinn tríd an Tionól. Ach, tá gaeilgeoirí ó thuaidh fós ag fanacht le reachtaíocht chun a gcearta teanga a chosaint.

Arís agus arís eile léirítear an fáth go bhfuil Acht Gaeilge de dhíth orainn. Creideann 36% de dhaoine in Éirinn agus 33% de dhaoine sa Tuaisceart go bhfuil an Ghaeilge á léiriú go diúltach sna meáin. Ní chuireann comhionannas duine ar bith i mbaol! Ar an gcéad dul síos, bhí an DUP ag gearradh £50,000 maoiniú ó Líofa. Ina dhiadh sin, dúirt an DUP go n-úsáidfidís Acht Gaeilge mar pháipéar leithris. Le déanaí, tá Cumann Óige an Ghleanna dúnta – cuireann seo 100 páiste áitiúil amach ar an sráid gan fáil ar chumann óige Gaeilge s’acu 3 oíche sa tseachtain. Tá beagnach 100 ionsaí ar chomharthaí Gaeilge i lár Uladh i gceann dhá bhliain. Ionsaithe seicteacha iad seo agus is gníomhartha den sórt sin a chuireann in iúl go soiléir cé comh tábhachtach is atá sé Acht Gaeilge a fháil.

An Costas

“Tá Acht Gaeilge ró-chostasach”: Bréagach. Dúirt Arlene Foster go gcosnódh Acht Gaeilge 20 nó 30 milliún ach dúirt Nelson McCausland linn go raibh sé 100 milliún. Measadh an costas iarbhír ag 2 mhilliún in aghaidh na bliana. Agus, a chairde, ná déan dearmad riamh gurbh é an DUP a bhain mealladh as daoine le beagnach 500 milliún dá gcuid airgid a thógáil trí sceim urchóideach ‘RHI’.

Stádas na Gaeilge

“Is teanga í an Ghaeilge atá ag fháil bháis”: Bréagach. I dtéarmaí líofachta, léirigh an Suirbhé Gaeilge, a rinne ‘Amárach Research’ in 2013, gur féidir le beagnach 500,000 duine ar fud na hÉireann comhrá a dhéanamh as Gaeilge agus go bhfuil líofacht cainteora dhúchais ag 150,000 eile Thabharfadh an figiúr seo níos mó cainteoirí líofa don Ghaeilge ná formhór na dteangacha sa domhan. De réir staidéir ó 2015, tá muinín ag 1.2 milliún duine in Éirinn as a gcumas Gaeilge a labhairt. Is imeacht seachtaine é Oireachtas na Samhna a tharlaíonn le thart ar 15,000 ag freastal air. Baineadh úsáid as scagairí Gaeilge ar Snapchat 18.6 milliún uair. Tá an Ghaeilge ar cheann de na 200 teanga is fearr ar an idirlíon. I mo thaithí féin, ba í an Ghaeilge an t-aon teanga a bhí múinte ag Ard Leibhéal i mo mheánscoil mar ní raibh éileamh coitianta ar aon teanga eile. Tá níos mó daoine ag tosú Gaeilge a fhoghlaim gach lá agus tá níos mó ranganna agus deiseanna ar fáil ar fud an oileáin. Tá an Ghaeilge Beo.

Éilíteach

Tá léirmheastóirí ann a mhaíonn go bhfuil oideachas trí Ghaeilge i scoileanna éiliteach. Níl sé seo fíor. Tá níos mó ná leath de na gaelscoileanna i mBaile Átha Cliath agus i mBéal Feirste suite i gceantair lucht oibre. Freastalaíonn leanaí ó gach aicme shóisialta in Éirinn ar ghaelscoileanna. Tá oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge ar fáil do leanaí ó gach cúlra.

‘Tá an pholaitíocht á tabhairt isteach sa Ghaeilge’

Creideann go leor daoine go ndéantar rud polaitiúil as an nGaeilge mar gheall ar na Trioblóidí. Ní fíor é sin i ndáiríre, áfach, mar go bhfuil fiú reisimintí arm na Breataine a úsáideann Gaeilge. Tá sé á úsáid anois chun na bearnaí idir daoine a dhúnadh, chun a thaispeáint go mbaineann an Ghaeilge linn go léir agus gur féidir linn go léir í a fhoghlaim. Úsáidtear an Ghaeilge i ngach traidisiún polaitiúil in Éirinn. Múintear é i gceantair aontachtacha agus náisiúntacha i mBéal Feirste. Labhair an Bhanríon Eilís as Gaeilge fiú nuair a thug sí cuairt ar Éirinn. Ní cúis imní do dhream ar bith í an Ghaeilge. Mar a dúirt Dubhghlas de hÍde, ‘Níl an Ghaeilge, buíochas le Dia, ina protastúnach ná ina chaitlicigh. Ní aontachtóir ná scaradhóir é. ‘

ÉISTIGÍ LINN!

Creideann 78% de na daoine i bPoblacht na hÉireann, agus 60% de dhaoine ón Tuaisceart go bhfuil an Ghaeltacht an-tábhachtach. Creideann 81% de na daoine sa Phoblacht gur chóir go mbeadh na polaiteoirí líofa sa Ghaeilge. Ceapann fiú 37% de dhaoine sa Tuaisceart gur cheart go mbeadh sé de cheart acu an Ghaeilge a úsáid i gcúirteanna (atá toirmeasc faoi láthair). Tá sé seo suimiúil mar ní dúirt ach 33% de na daoine sa Tuaisceart go raibh siad ina choinne. Creideann 66% de dhaoine i dTuaisceart Éireann gur chóir go mbeadh an Ghaeilge mar ábhar lárnach do GCSE. Léiríonn sé seo go soiléir go bhfuil an Ghaeilge ag athrú. Ba mhaith le 40% de dhaoine i dTuaisceart Éireann rochtain bheith acú ar sheirbhísí Gaeilge (i gcomparáid le 30% nach mbeadh), agus síleann 63% de na daoine ann go bhfuil an ceart ag gach páiste oideachas trí mheáin na Gaeilge a fháil.

Ag dul ar ais chuig na staitisticí, feicfidh tú go bhfuil athbheochan na Gaeilge ag obair. Is é Sinn Féin an t-aon pháirtí atá chun tosaigh maidir le cearta cothroma teanga a éileamh. Is cuma leis an SDLP faoin ár dteanga. Is cuma leis an gComhaontas Glás faoinár dteanga. Is cuma lei Alliance faoinár dteanga. Is cuma leis an UUP faoinár dteanga. Is fuath leis an DUP ár dteanga.

Beagnach fiche bhliain tar éis comhaontú Chill Rímhinn, tá muid fós ar na sráideanna céanna ag éileamh ár mbunchearta mar shaoránaigh. Ní deonnú nó pribhléid speisialta, ach saol trí Ghaeilge atá uainn agus is é an stát an bac is mó ar an cheart bhunúsach sin, in ainneoin na ngeallúintí a rinne siad nuair a bhí mé sé bliana d’aois. Ní chiallaíonn labhairt na Gaeilge nach féidir leat Béarla a labhairt. Ní dhéanfaidh Acht na Gaeilge difear do do chearta, ní chuireann sé iallach ar dhuine ar bith Gaeilge a labhairt. Is idirdhealú iomlán é cearta a dhiúltú agus ní ghlacfaí leis in aon áit eile ar fud an domhain. Ní ghlacfaimid leis anseo. Tá muid dubh dóite agus DEARG LE FEARG. Acht ANOIS!

The Irish language does not harm anyone. It does not put anyone in danger. It is our culture, our heritage, our mother tongue. It is something that should be there for our children to learn. For far too long now we have asked for basic respect for our fundamental language rights. It is our right to speak our language and avail of access to services through Irish.

The St Andrews Agreement was signed in 2006. Since the agreement, Time and time again we are shown why there needs to be an Irish Language Act. 36% of people in the 26 and 33% of people in the north believe that Irish is portrayed badly in the media. Equality puts no one in danger! Firstly, the DUP cut 50,000 of funding from the Líofa scheme. After that, the DUP said that they would use an Irish Language Act as toilet paper. Most recently, the Glens Youth Club was closed – putting 100 local children out on the streets without their their youth club being available to them 3 nights of the week. There has been almost 1—attacks on Irish Language signage in Mid Ulster in the past 2 years. These are sectarian attacks and this sort of activity makes it all the more important that we have an Irish Language Act.

The Cost

“An Irish Language Act is too expensive”: False. Arlene Foster said that an Irish Language Act would cost 20 or 30 million, but Nelson McCausland said that it would cost 100 million. The real cost would actually be a 2 million annual implementation cost. And friends, let us never forget that the DUP scammed the people of almost 500 million through the awful RHI scandal.

Status of Irish

“Irish is a dying language”: False. In terms of fluency, an Irish survey carried out by “Tomorrow Research” in 2013, showed that almost 500,000 people throughout Ireland can carry out a conversation in Irish and 150,000 others are native fluent speakers. This figure shows that Irish actually has more fluent speakers than the majority of languages in the world. According to a study from 2015, 1.2 million people in Ireland are confident in their ability to speak Irish. The event that is “Oireachtas na Samhna” gets around 15,000 in attendance. Irish language filters on snapchat have been used 18.6 million times. Irish is in the top 200 languages used online. In my own experience, Irish was the only language that was taught in my secondary school as no other language received popular demand. More people are starting to learn Irish every day and more classes and opportunities are becoming available throughout the island. Irish is alive and kicking.

Elitist?

There are critics that think that education through Irish is only in elitist schools. This is not true. More than half of Irish-medium schools in Dublin and Belfast are located in overwhelmingly working class areas. Children from all social denominations attend Gaelscoileanna. Education through irish is available to children of every single background.

Irish has become too politicised

Some people believe that Irish has become political since the troubles. This isn’t true however, even the British Army use an Irish language motto. Irish is used by all political traditions in Ireland. Irish classes are taught in both traditionally unionist and nationalist areas of Belfast. Even Queen Elizabeth spoke in Irish on her visit to Ireland. There is nothing to fear from the Irish language. As Douglas Hyde said, “The Irish language, thank God, is neither Protestant nor Catholic, it is neither a unionist nor a separatist.” And this just shows that the Irish language is not owned by anyone, yet it can belong to us all. It can be learned and used by people of all political traditions. Did you know that Queen Elizabeth I produced the first book ever printed in the Irish language?

LISTEN TO US!

78% of people in the Republic, and 60% of people from the north think that the Gaeltacht areas are of great importance. 81% of people in the republic believe that our politicians should be fluent in Irish. Even 37% of people in the North think that they should have the right to use Irish in courts (currently prohibited) This is interesting because only 33% of people in the North said that they were against it. 66% of people in the North think that Irish should be a core subject for GCSE. This really shows that attitudes in the North to the Irish language are changing. 40% of people in the North would like access to services in Irish (compared to 30% who wouldn’t) and 63% of people there think that every child deserves the right to an Irish-speaking education. If we return to the statistics, you can see that the Irish language revival is working. Sinn Féin is the only party at the forefront of demanding equal language rights. The SDLP do not care about our language. The Green Party do not care about our language. The Alliance Party do not care about our language. The UUP do not care about our language. The DUP hates our language. Almost 20 years since the St Andrews Agreement, we are still taking to the streets demanding our basic rights as citizens. We do not want any special privileges, but a life through Irish and it is the state that is the main obstacle in delivering that basic right, despite the promises that were made when I was just 6 years old. Speaking Irish does not mean that you cannot speak English. The Irish Language Act will not affect your rights, it does not force anyone to speak Irish. Rejection and denial of rights is absolute discrimination and would not be accepted anywhere else in the world. We will not accept this here. We are fed up and we are red with anger. Irish language act NOW!

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