Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)

Fair enough, that is the problem. When Deputy Kenny, as leader of Fine Gael, made a very solid proposal for Irish in the future, it was ridiculed in the very same fashion noted by the Minister in respect of what Deputy Deasy said in the House. Initially, I thought it was a bad idea but I am firmly convinced that it is an important move.

One balances that against the fact that our Irish language has been recognised as a European language but that the translators have not been available in Europe in the very recent past. We can throw our hands up to high heaven and say various things. We are dealing today with statements on the Irish language. Does it mean that after today, the focus will shift and we will all go on our merry way? If that is the case, we should look at all the groups that have been established and all the finances and resources that have been made available, supposedly in the promotion of Irish. How much of this money has been spent efficiently and effectively to the point that it has helped the Irish language to expand and be a vibrant language in this State?

When one contacts some Departments and local authority sections, particularly our own county council in County Galway, it is nice that if one so wishes, one can converse and make one's requests and representations trí Gaeilge. We do not have them in the Breac-Ghaeltacht in east Galway but, at least, we are conscious of the fact. While we were members of the local authority, the late Pól Ó Foighil, a former Member of the Seanad, insisted that we would have an officer of Irish and a translation facility installed in the council. It was probably one of the first in the country. Such initiatives were important even though they may have seemed insignificant or wasteful in some people's eyes.

Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4 have done more to promote the Irish language than anything else. It is a pleasure to listen to Raidió na Gaeltachta and watch features on TG4. If there could have been a connection between Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4 in the classroom, it would have been positive. This is why it is so essential to put aside all this written homework that is being done. If Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4 had a direct input into Irish in the classroom, much of the ongoing effort and endeavour at higher levels would not be necessary and the Irish language would take off through a natural process rather than the forced endeavour that has been the case in the past. Slowly but surely, I hope that will be teased out and that we will have an Irish language that will be vibrant as a spoken language rather than emphasis being placed on written work.

The Minister knows that we went through an educational system where we were taught poetry and prose that has so little significance and is of so little interest to so many people today. They are turned off by it. Certainly, it is all important but if we are serious about having a living Irish language that is used by the people, we must change our ways, be imaginative and brave and turn our backs on the people who will literally castigate us, turn it round and misrepresent the interests of so many people out there who could do so much for us.

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