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Updated 9.40am
THE IRISH LANGUAGE Commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin has today formally stepped down from the role, after announcing his intention to do so late last year.
He told the an Oireachtas committee in December that he planned to resign from his role over government failures to promote the language and implement its use by public bodies.
The role of An Coimisinéir Teanga is to monitor compliance by public bodies with the provisions of the Official Languages Act.
RTÉ journalist Rónán Ó Domhnaill has been announced as his successor.
“However, in accordance with the Official Languages Act, ‘the appointment of a person to be An Coimisinéir Teanga shall be made by the President on the advice of the Government following the passing” of such a resolution’,” a spokesperson for the Office of the Language Commissioner said.
The appointment has not yet been made by the President and no date has been announced as yet for the appointment.
Ó Domhnaill has been a political correspondent on Nuacht RTÉ and TG4 for the last seven years and has also worked on other RTÉ current affairs shows.
President of Conradh na Gaeilge Donnchadh Ó hAodha said that Ó Cuirreáin’s resignation would be a “massive loss to the country”, but that his reasons for doing so are understandable.
“This brave step taken by him should be taken in context. No other ombudsman has resigned due to a lack of action by the Government in Ireland but he felt that he had no other choice because the Government are not willing to guarantee the Gaeltacht community State service through Irish, without condition or question.
Basically, the state system is pushing the use of English on the Gaeltacht community and are adding to the decline of the Gaeltacht. Also the Government is not ensuring enough civil servants in the South that can provide services to the public in Irish and in English.
Ahead of today’s move, as many as 5,000 people took part in a protest last week outside Leinster House calling for increased government support for the Irish language.
First published 6.57pm 23/02/14
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Adh mor a Sheain. Taimid fior buioch as ucht gach rud.
10011100001010001101110
The language above has more practical use to modern Irish society than your one ever will.
If you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything. Didn’t realise I wasn’t allowed speak my own language in my country and if that offends you why are you reading this article?
I am not offended nor am I refusing your right for free speech. Just debating the Irish language’s practicality, or lack of.
Translation please……..no hurry……
Anna if you do not wish to debate the practicality of this language then I suggest you don’t comment on an article which is at the centre of the Irish language debate
Jesus Paddy tog go bog e. Nil aon fadas ar mo fon faraor.
Kevin I can wish all the best for Sean and thank him for what he’s done if I want to.
Hold on I’ll just go pay somebody money to translate that. You’d think on an English speaking website people would well…. Speak English.
Anna stop pretending I’m denying your right to speak. It’s my right to comment on your comment as it is yours to comment in the first place.
Yeah, and it’s my right to comment on your comment, Mr Practical.
How about this, tell me where any linguist, poet, artist, engineer, philosopher, politician, thinker or indeed anyone with half a brain made the intellectual case that languages were simply about practicality.
Prime example of xenophobia towards Irish speakers displayed by Kevin. This is an article about the Irish language. God forbid someone writes a comment in the language under the article.
Like, was it really necessary to respond to someone writing a comment in Irish, telling them how useless the language was? What exactly did you hope to achieve, other than attempt to insult the OP?
Grow up. A lot of people don’t like the Irish language, but they are at least mature about it.
It’s not about it’s creation it’s about it’s continuation. I can come up with a language tomorrow and assert my right to speak it but everyone else has their right to not listen. It’s a dead language and 98% of the country NOT speaking it shows you just how dead it is.
A “dead language” is a language with no native speakers. Since 180,000 people use the Irish language outside of school on a weekly basis according to the last census – It’s not dead by any linguistic definitions. Just because you do not speak it, does not mean it is not spoken. I use Irish regularly. I can assure you, it’s alive and well.
“Anna, nach bhfuil tú in ann baint a úsáid as an síne fada? How can you expect to be taken seriously when you are unable even to print in the language? How can you expect to be taken seriously when you appear alongside such a character in your photograph?”
Look, if you’re going to correct someone’s Irish – At least make sure your Irish is correct. It’s “úsáid a bhaint as”.
Just stop forcing people to learn it in school and I’m happy. There is my agenda for all to see.
I will have to agree with you on that Kevin. I think that it’s a disgrace how Irish is forced down childrens throats in school. It should be optional in my opinion.
“Just stop forcing people to learn it in school and I’m happy. There is my agenda for all to see.”
Take it up with the board of education, and stop taking it out on strangers on the internet because they opted to write in their own language. None of us forced you to do anything. That’s a state policy issue.
Your taking your views out on random people on the Internet aswell. Which is exactly what this comments section is for! There is no argument against having it optional as the side that want it mandatory keep using the human rights card on the government departments. So I’m using the human rights card on it been optional
There are many people who would like for it to be an optional subject. It’s a valid stance to take. But why do you feel the need to insult someone for speaking Irish? Where is the correlation there?
No you’re not, Kevin. You’re insulting people on the Internet simply because of the language they speak. None of us here, either pro or anti Irish, are in charge of the Dept of Education’s policies. What lobbying and campaigning have you done for optional Irish? Have you contacted your local TD? Or do you just prefer to fight your battles on comment sections with people who have no power to change anything?
If you won’t debate whether it should or shouldn’t be optional Then don’t expect me to debate your ‘right’ to irritate English speakers by speaking Irish when you speak English anyway.
Ná tabhair áird ar bith ar an mbobarún sin.
Tiochfaidh ar lá ;)
Well there was the time that a single generation of people essentially drove the Irish language out of the vernacular and into the Gaelic League. It wasn’t the British that killed the language (India still has all sorts of languages) it was that one generation that were more suited to English. As for the purpose of language, it’s to speak to people, so intuitively the language that best enables you to speak to people is the better one. Languages all over the world are dying for that reason. Brian Friel wrote about it in Translations
Jesus kevin is on an absolute bender tonight lads! His Irish teacher must have loved him.
He’s a good wind-up merchant alright, like a broken radio repeating itself non-stop!!
I would be a little more selective about choosing my company.
Hopefully Seáns parting words as Coimisinéir are listened to. I was one of the 1000 people who marched today from Seáns office to the Deparment of the Gaeltacht. People are angry that they don’t have the most basic right to be able to speak our own language with our own country. This needs to change
Can you outline very clearly for everyone where your right to speak it has been denied?
When i get replys from most state services in english or with google translate after enquiries in Irish. When i was fined by a Garda for speaking irish because he said “anyone who speaks irish is just being cheeky”. When i get that “tut” or “just speak english” every time i try to speak my own language with a state service. When my friends who bring their children up in Irish are told that their kids can’t have basic medical services because they can’t speak English.
But then I’m discriminated against as if I want to be a guard I must learn a language that statistically next to nobody speaks. Going off statistics it’s more likely you’ll come across a polish speaker than Irish.
No we’re not looking for every civil servant to have Irish but for there to be enough in services to deal with enquiries in Irish instead of just being told we cant use our language, especially in Gaeltacht areas. 1.77m people have some level of Irish according to the census so thats just not true but ironically from my experience you’d probably have better luck speaking Polish with our state.
The difference is Kevin that Irish is our language, the only language of 6700 in the world that is ours, the main language of this country for thousands of years until less than 200 years ago. Its important we keep our language and our culture- people having the right to speak it is essential to its preservation and promotion
No you’re not. There is no Irish language requirement to be a Garda. That requirement was abolished. What is required is either Irish or English. There is no Irish language requirement in any state body or department any more. The only requirement for Irish is for schools in receipt of state funds and for a minority of third-level institutions.
You say “we” but your speaking English? If you speak English then why waste taxpayers money training someone in any given department to speak Irish? Why don’t you find your language yourself and stop getting English speakers to pay for it?
@Kevin *you’re.
Got to love the Gaeilge haters with the poor English :)
1.77 million have some level of Irish, that’s nonsense.what is some level? Remembering 3 words that were drilled in to you in school??
Well done to the Garda for fining you as your just a complete shit stirrer. Let’s hope you learned some manners from your fines
Aodhan, if you look at what you said honestly, your telling the government and the tax payer to pay for people to serve you in your language of your choice no matter what the cost to the exchequer. Surely if a child is sick, the important point is to get them well again….not to be annoyed that the doctor you are talking to only speaks english. Similarly, when you speak to a Garda the point is to communicate and not to speak in a language that he or she doesnt comprehend….by all acounts you are at least bilingual and therefore perhaps you made a choice to deliberately obstruct the Garda in his/her duties. Wouldyou consider this self righteous attitude of yours to be sympathetic or repulsive to the average reader?
a “massive loss to the country”, just a touch of hyperbole or melodrama there ?
“I am absolutely disgusted by the treatment of the irish language in this country, so let me stand down from my position only to be immediately replaced by a man who also has fadas in his name, hopefully he can do more for the language than I could with the exact same powers that I had before him”
utter shite, I’m a massive supporter for the language, but this changeover means nothing and if he wanted to make any difference he should have stuck it out and made changes from the inside.
Why do we need to replace him. Abolish the whole quango and put the money into something more worthwhile for the benefit of the whole country.
Agree.
According to the 2011 census 77,185 people claim to speak Irish on a daily basis.
This works out at 1.68% of the population.
Really have to wonder about the need for a Language Commissioner given those figures, when for all but a tiny percentage of Irish people the language plays little to no part in their day-to-day life.
I’d say more people use HTML on a daily basis than they use Irish
More people use HTML on a daily basis than Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, etc. What’s your point? Or are you deliberately trying to devalue and belittle a language and its speakers? On another article you speak of equality and the ideals of a socialist system, and here you espouse ridiculing a section of the public because of the language they speak. In other words, you believe in equality on your terms, but not on anyone else’s. Just like the pigs in Animal Farm.
Socialism has nothing to do with pouring money into a terribly outdated languages used by less than 2% of this country on a daily basis. Socialism allows freedom and basic rights. You’ve a right to use your language just don’t expect to force others to learn it.
I don’t force anyone to learn it. The government does. The same one you elected. However, as it stands, I do not have the right to speak my language with the same state that I pay taxes to. Socialism includes the concept of equality for all citizens before the state. Equality does not, however, exist for all citizens before the state. Again, what’s your point on the use of HTML? More people use it than speak Dutch. Not everyone wants to be a Web designer, so what use would HTML be to them?
Where is your right to speak Irish denied? I need an example as I’ve never seen it myself. I was too young to vote at the time but thanks for the assumption.
My right to speak Irish has been denied by the Department of Social Protection, by the Department of Transport, by the Department of the Environment, and, ironically, by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I have been insulted and assaulted for speaking my own language in private. So you tell me how exactly I have the same rights regarding my language that you have regarding yours?
I was discriminated against as I was forced 5 times a week to learn a language I did not wish to learn . It also lessened my chances of achieving my college course which is quite fundamental to my future standard of living. You speak both so it was your choice to be difficult speaking Irish to non Irish speakers. I didn’t have a choice
I have a right to speak my language with the state. It is enshrined in the constitution and backed up by legislation. The state, as it stands, is breaking the law. Or do you think that our constitution and legislation should be à la carte? How do I know, prior to meeting someone, if they can or can not speak Irish? Are you seriously telling me I shouldn’t attempt to speak to anyone in Irish? That is exactly what you are saying. In other words, you actually believe in stripping me of all my rights as an Irish speaker. The compulsory education issue is completely separate. If you want optional Irish, either go to a completely private school not in receipt of state funding, or lobby the Department of Education or you local TD. Don’t take your hatred for compulsory Irish out on me and Irish speakers. I don’t even believe in compulsory Irish for the LC or as a requirement in any third level course unless it’s relavent.
Take your time on the reply brian.
I said a reply brian not a hate speech. The they took our jobs episode of South Park sums up what your going through. Back to the pile!
You make a fair point Brian. You do have no way of knowing whether someone speaks Irish or not. Therefore I’ll give you this helpful suggestion. Just think to yourself, what are the chances statistically speaking that they do?
2% yes, 98% No. If I was a betting man, I’d put all my chips on “No”, and therefore greet them in English first. Then I would ask them if they speak Irish, before just firing ahead talking in Irish.
There’s no point in debating with you, Kevin. You don’t even no what you’re talking about. You claim you can’t join the Gardaí because you don’t speak Irish, yet there is no requirement. You say I have the right to speak Irish but that I shouldn’t speak it to anyone in case they don’t speak it. You give out to me about compulsory Irish in the LC despite the fact that that’s neither my fault nor is there anything I can do about it. And I don’t even believe in it either.
That’s true, David. And the truth is in public if I meet someone I assume they don’t have Irish and will speak to them in English. On most occasions when dealing with the state I will use English. But when I am told that there is an Irish language facility I will use it. What I find annoying is being told there is an Irish language facility where none actually exists. I find it offensive what Kevin is saying when he implies I shouldn’t have the right to speak Irish to anyone.
My wife works in the health service and deals with the public. She was educated abroad and doesn’t speak Irish. Should she be sent to learn Irish in the slim chance that someone demands to be spoken to in Irish? What’s your proposed solution?
Simple, Reg. Dedicate a percentage, say 10%, of positions to Irish speakers. In an office of 10 staff it means that only 1 has to have the ability to speak Irish. In other words, it wouldn’t affect your wife or her job. Norway manages to do it with its Saami population, despite the fact that less than 5000 speakers exist. Finland does it for Saami and Swedish. The Netherlands does it for Frisian.
My wife works in quite a specialist role Brian and given the very small percentage of native Irish speakers it just may not be possible to provide one person competent in the language. I’m pretty sure that the examples you have given above that not every service will have a fluent speaker. There are simply not enough native speakers. I really think that the Irish language lobby have to focus their energies elsewhere. Start with the education system.
If it’s a specialist role then it could be exempted. Surely an analysis could be done to determine where services are demanded in Irish and provision therefore be provided. E.g. I wouldn’t expect brain surgeons, pathologists, forensic analysts, etc to have Irish speakers. I would expect those employed to deal with the public to have at least one Irish speaker in their midst where there is demand.
You are not denied the right to speak it just nobody understands it that’s what you consider being denied to speak it?? Jaysus
Yes spot on Kevin it’s a disgrace it’s forced on people. Those that want to speak it/learn it grand but some arrogance to think it normal to force it on people.
You can speak it all you want nobody is stopping you just a bit of a waste of your time as 99 people out of 100 won’t know what your trying to say
That’s discrimination against those that don’t speak it
Sorry Brian, jobs for the boys and girls of the Gealteacht purely to speak in a language of choice despite the fact you speak english. That is not a good use of tax payers limited wealth.
What annoys me is the fact that ALL EU documents have to be translated into Irish.
At enormous cost – and nobody reads them, even in English! Who wants to know about Belgian sanitation/apples/dandruff – or anything?
But translators – in Dingle (?) – are now busy ……
But, Kev – about 20 posts now. Have an early night.
Good night Kevin.
Yes Bill – busy trying to think up ‘Irish’ words for subjects/things/species which didn’t exist when that CBS language was spoken!
With how upset some people are getting about the alleged violation of their rights, you would almost think the Penal Laws were back in effect. People are free to speak whatever language they like, but personally I think it’s pretty rude and ignorant to deliberately try to speak to someone else in a language they don’t understand, when you’re perfectly capable of doing so in a common language.
Why are Irish language speakers continually arguing their points in English?! is there no word for irony in Irish? Have absolutely no problem in anyone speaking their native tongue but wasting 1000′s of hours learning something that could be put to better use is a no brainer. Not to mention to the cost of it all. If this article was posted in Irish there would be tumbleweed floating across the screen with very few comments. Fact.
“Why are Irish language speakers continually arguing their points in English?”
Two reasons. Firstly, if we use our language – we’re insulted. Secondly, if someone asks a question in English – It would be rude of us to reply to them in Irish, would it not? How exactly do you envisage this unfolding?
SteveW, we are arguing here in English because it is an English language forum. We also have the same arguments in Irish on Irish language forums. You don’t know this because you don’t speak Irish and/or don’t visit those forums.
Brian. You are right. I don’t speak Irish. Well done the education system. Money and hours well spent. What do the Irish language forums talk about? How much little money is spent on making the majority English speakers talk in a dying tongue?
Ya pure crator. Its all the education systems fault is it. I suppose its the education systems fault that you’re a bell end
“What do the Irish language forums talk about?”
About how sexy the TG4 news girls looked the previous night on the tele.
Write that in Irish Sean/John and while you are at it post it on a site where no one one will read it like one in Irish…
Slan
= bye. That will be 50 euros please.
Give it a rest o master coder
The comments give a fascinating insight into closed minds. Compulsory Irish at leaving cert should be ended: there’s no point in wasting resources on those unwilling/unable to learn. It’s blindingly obvious that the State should be able to deal with an Irish-speaker in a language of their choice, but that does not mean all public servants should be required to speak Irish (which they aren’t, but the myth continues). The Constitution may enshrine An Gaeilge as the first language, but it also has an equality clause: ask anyone who has been discriminated against how well the Bunreacht protects them. But what is truly interesting is those who attack an indigenous language – one of 6,700 left. Why? Just because the State forced you to learn a native language, you equate that to “rammed down” your throat”. Because people are speaking Irish and you don’t understand, instead of questioning yourself, you complain they are being rude. And because Irish speakers want their legal rights enforced – they are seen as difficult and trouble. That’s an odd attitude, and one which reflects more on the anglophones than the gaelgóir.
1 billion a year wasted on this crap- that’s criminal
What a waste of time and money!
Buster I would not insult you if you wrote in Gaelic but you did not put your point across in that language because you have a fair idea that I would not understand what you said. This is the irony that I’m highlighting. Think the Irish language should be promoted but in more cost efficient and effective ways. Would you not agree? I love language. I speak 2 others fairly basic but It was not forced upon me where I dreaded going into class but picked them up as I went along. Did not set out to insult you or anyone else regarding this issue, but this issue is obviously divisive and needs to be addressed on a political and national level with proper debate. Peace out.
Gaelic and Irish are two different languages. Just an FYI.
This crap about 200k people use Irish regularly. How many of those are forced to learn Irish at school. Why not ask students what they want, Irish isn’t going to get them a job now is it
Nationalism and language speaking should never mix. English is a world language-it is not ‘english’. The way we speak it and write is unique-the world knows who Irish people are with utter clarity. There is no loss of identity. In fact it is through our unique use of the language through our writers like Joyce, Beckett, Heaney etc., that we have made it as much our own as any. Of course make our kids aware of their heritage and let them pursue it further in college if they wish but it should not be forced on people.
Let’s hope this hideous excuse of a language is got rid of also. What a complete and utter waste of money
m
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