Dr. Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh:

Agus an cheist sin á fhreagairt, tagann frustrachas fríd agus muid ag plé na ceiste. Dúradh go mbeadh an reachtaíocht maidir leis an nGaeilge i bhfeidhm taobh istigh de 100 lá agus go mbeadh straitéis na Gaeilge i bhfeidhm taobh istigh de sé mhí. Níor tharla an dá rud sin. Dar ndóigh, táimid ag plé leis na húdaráis, leis na hoifigigh agus leis na hAirí ó Thuaidh agus tá dul chun cinn áirithe á dhéanadh ar cuid éagsúla den comhaontú ach i dtaobh na rudaí forleathana sin – an reachtaíocht agus an straitéis, níl siad againn fós. Táimid airdeallach agus aithnímid gur tháinig an phaindéim a chur moill ar chúrsaí, ach tá an ghnáth chóras reachtaíochta agus an gnáth próiseas ó Thuaidh ag obair, tá na polaiteoirí ag obair agus tá rudaí ag dul tríd an Tionóil agus an Feidhmeannas faoi láthair. Cé go nglacaimid go bhfuil moill ann agus caithfimid a bheith tuisceanach maidir leis an bpaindéim a thit amach, táimid airdeallach gur bunchlocha lárnacha de chuid an chomhaontú ó 2020 iad an reachtaíocht agus straitéis na Gaeilge agus beimid iontach buartha mura gcuirtear i bhfeidhm iad gan breis mhoill. Mar a dúirt an t-uachtarán, beimid ag amharc ar toghcháin eile an bliain seo chugainn agus go mbeidh an Ghaeilge mar chnámh spairne san toghcháin sin.

Creidim féin go mbaineann sé dár leas ar fad go mbeadh an reachtaíocht seo i bhfeidhm chomh luath agus is féidir.

To quickly summarise, we are hugely frustrated that we have not had the opportunity to see the legislation or the strategy which were promised come into effect yet. The legislation was promised within 100 days and the strategy was time-bound within six months. Neither of those has been realised in terms their legislative passage through the Assembly or the Executive. We are not naive, we are aware Covid has happened and that this global pandemic has impacted on some of the processes in Stormont. That said, normal legislative procedures are up and running, Stormont is up and running, the Assembly and the Executive are up and running. These were two cornerstone components of the New Decade, New Approach agreement. They are very much the main issues of the 2017 to 2020 impasse and we believe there would be a huge crisis in confidence if this current mandate finished and those cornerstone issues were not implemented. We were told 100 days and six months. We are now well past both those deadlines and our frustration is growing. There is no real reason that those could not be implemented almost instantaneously.

We are anxious that this not be allowed run into another election. We are very anxious that the Irish language not be used or misused as an election issue. We believe it would be to the benefit of all - everyone in this committee and everyone North and South - to adhere to the promises made in the Good Friday Agreement and as an extension of that the promises made in the New Decade, New Approach agreement, to get that legislation and the strategy over the line as soon as possible. I remind the committee we had a successful High Court case in terms of the Irish language strategy in 2017. The judge put a legal impetus on the Executive to get that strategy through as soon as possible. Therefore, not only do we have the commitments from the Good Friday Agreement, the St. Andrew's Agreement and the New Decade, New Approach deal, we also have a legal direction on the Executive to get that through as soon as possible. We do not see any reason for stalling any longer. The only impasse would be a political one, at this stage. The legislation is predetermined, it is pre-written. As Dr. Comer said, it is not the best legislation by any means but we must get what was promised in the bank now, start rolling it out and see how it impacts communities on the ground.