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Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Minister of State Joe McHugh
tuarisc
Former RTÉ head criticises Kenny over "less than fluent" Gaeltacht minister
Cathal Goan made the comments as he launched a new online Irish news site.
THE FORMER HEAD of RTÉ and TG4, Cathal Goan, has criticised the Taoiseach for appointing a “less than fluent” Minister of State for Gaeltacht Matters.
Cathal Goan, the former head of TG4 and RTÉ, referred to Enda Kenny’s decision to appoint Deputy Joe McHugh as Junior Minister while speaking at the launch of Irish news service Tuairisc.ie,
“Will his legacy be that a little Irish is now enough, and that greater proficiency is only required to demonstrate one’s superior fluency to Gerry Adams?” questioned Goan.
He added:
“Let us hope that Tuairisc.ie will keep a close eye not just on the less than fluent Minister of State but on all of Government, as they attempt to continue in power for 2016 when symbolism will be sought at every crossroads to show how Irish we are.”
President Michael D Higgins described Tuairisc.ie as an “important” development for the language. The site is based in Connemara and is funded by cross-border body Foras na Gaeilge.
It was launched yesterday evening by Goan in the Mansion House, Dublin.
Tuairisc.ie will provide a national news service in Irish from its base in Bearna,.
Editor Seán Tadhg Ó Gairbhí said that the site would provide an “innovative multimedia news service in Irish with high-quality reporting and analysis on national, international and Gaeltacht affairs”.
Minister McHugh had come under fire for his inability to speak fluent Irish, but subsequently undertook two intensive short courses over the summer.
He gave his first radio interview as gaeilge in August, which showed that the classes were paying off.
Meanwhile, Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, said that she was also going to brush up on her Irish language skills.
Read: Want to brush up on your Irish? Duolingo (unofficially) launches its own course>
Read: Gaeltacht Minister shows Irish classes are paying off with ‘as gaeilge’ radio performance>
