Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)

Tá a lán ráite faoin toghchán a chur ar ceal go ceann cúpla bliana faoin Bhille. Ní hé sin an rud is tábhachtaí; ba mhaith liom níos mó béime ar labhairt na Gaeilge. Tá sin ag dul in olc i gConamara. Sna Gaelscoileanna tá a lan oibre déanta ag na múinteoirí agus ag na tuismitheoirí, agus tá níos mó béime ar labhairt na Gaeilge ná mar atá sna scoileanna Gaeltachta.

Because of the efforts put in over the years for the revival of Irish and the use of Irish by the people in the Gaeltacht it is important that i bhfad níos mó béime would be put on the speaking of Irish. The Minister has been involved in education down the years and I hope he would emphasise to the Minister for Education and Skills, who is herself an Irish speaker, that once and for all, the emphasis in education with regard to Irish should be changed, in particular at primary school level. It has been clearly identified in the Gaelscoileanna throughout the country that where there is an emphasis on the spoken language, it can succeed. Nobody in Europe can understand why it is that after six to ten years' in education that we, collectively, come out the other end unable to converse in our native tongue. There is talk of a report and a review. It is most important that this review puts the emphasis on making the Irish language acceptable and making it easy to converse in.

At one time the universities taught Old Irish and Old English. The teaching of Irish must be tackled in a meaningful way. The Irish language in its written form is presented by the newspaper, Foinse and The Irish Times which regularly publishes a column that is easy to read and writes about issues in very attractive, simple Irish. It can be read and understood without any difficulty. If a review of the Irish language and our commitment to it is to be carried out, there is no point just blaming any Minister or Government at any given time; there must be a willingness on the part of the people themselves, on all of us, to use the Irish language. It is embarrassing that many young immigrants are being taught in the Gaelscoileanna and they are chomh líofa le gach duine eile sa rang.

I did not have an opportunity to speak on Second Stage. I thank the Acting Chairman for allowing me speak on this issue. I want to make the point to the Minister that if this review is going through, it must re-examine the written word and its presentation. There is need for the grammarto be revised and simplified. There are difficulties that make young children turn away from the language. I hope the Minister and his officials, in consultation with the Department of Education and Skills, would examine the presentation of the Irish language, both the written and spoken word. We have to pay tribute to TG4 and Raidió na Gaeltachta for all they have done and to the media which presents the written word, Foinse and The Irish Times.

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