Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)

Tá mé fíor bhuíoch as an seans seo caint ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo. Mar Theachta Dála nua ó Ghaeltacht Chonamara agus ó dáilcheantar Gaillimh Thiar, tá a fhios agam cé chomh tábhachtach agus atá an teanga náisiúnta. Tá an teanga láidir i Chonamara, ach níl sí chomh láidir agus a bhí sí 20 bliain ó shin. Tá ceist phráinneach ann. Cén caighdeán a bheidh ar an teanga i gceann 20 bliain eile? I gConamara, tá Gaeltacht láidir ann ó na Forbacha go dtí Carna agus tá Gaeilge freisin i mBearna, i mo cheantar féin i Maigh Chuilinn, Corr na Móna agus áiteanna eile. Tá an-bhrú ar an teanga sna háiteanna in aice le cathair na Gaillimhe de réir an méid tithe a tógadh ar feadh na mblianta.

I am encouraged by the commitment in the programme for Government to support the 20-year strategy for the Irish language which was introduced last year. As outlined, the vision is to ensure that Irish is a living language, spoken, used and cherished in communities across Ireland. By virtue of our Constitution, Irish is the first official language. It is illuminating to note that it is the oldest spoken literary language in Europe. It was long overdue, therefore, when, in 2007, the language was afforded official and working language status in the European Union.

The 20-year strategy calls for a continuation of a senior ministry and a Department with central responsibility for Irish. The new Government has retained this practice by appointing as Minister, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, and as Minister of State, Deputy Dinny McGinley, who has special responsibility for the Gaeltacht. I congratulate Deputy McGinley on his appointment, which was a very popular choice. He has a long record as Fine Gael spokesperson, and has the most wonderful language and voice which encourage people to listen and to speak the language.

The strategy also proposes to establish an údarás na Gaeilge and na Gaeltachta, which should be headquartered in a Gaeltacht area and have powers to carry out functions in regard to Gaeltacht policy. It is envisaged that this údarás will have a significant enterprise function which complements the Government's determination to ensure that Gaeltacht areas benefit from the recent jobs initiative.

I note in the strategy the emphasis based on normalisation or, in other words, the steps taken to secure the social position of Irish through a campaign of awareness, positive attitudes and greater natural use of Irish in everyday routing tasks and communication. It is a sad fact, as other speakers mentioned, that many people have been put off the language through poor educational experience and, for want of a better phrase, a certain literary snobbery. This is where a person's efforts to engage in and use the language are met, not with encouragement but with criticisms about grammar or pronunciation. We all lived through the módh conníollach, what it means and its place in schools. It is off-putting. The school experience of many people is that once they put down the pen after the second leaving certificate Irish paper they do not take it up again to write any other word of Irish. Very often they do not speak any Irish either, except perhaps in a small capacity. People often say when they go abroad and do not want anyone to know what they are talking about they might use Irish. Other than that, the use of spoken Irish is fairly poor throughout the country, which is unfortunate.

It is vital that we move away from this to a position where encouragement is the key. Such a shift has been occurring, helped enormously by the creation of TG4 with its new generation of Gaeilgeoirí role models and ambassadors for the language as well as by the continuing role of Raidió na Gaeltachta in promoting the language throughout the State.

We cannot talk about the strategy without reference to Irish and its place in the educational system. Prior to the election there was a certain amount of concern regarding the policy on compulsory Irish for the leaving certificate. I took a great deal of flak because I took a stand on this. I used to be a half-decent student of Irish in respect of the intermediate certificate, or whatever, and got an honour in honours Irish at the time. However, when one finishes the leaving certificate one tends to drift away.

We need to change the emphasis in the teaching of Irish. There will be a change to the curriculum in that 40% of marks will go for oral assessment and this Government plans to increase that figure to 50%. I believe conversational Irish is the key to the survival of the language and that there should be two subjects in the leaving certificate, one being Irish as it stands, the other, which would be compulsory, being conversational Irish. In this way every student would be required to become involved and speak the living language, without being concerned about grammar, etc.

There are other issues we must face. Gaelscoileanna are extremely popular but there are many such as the school in Oranmore which has endured prefabs for many years We need to address aspects of that kind if we are to be serious about the language. We must also examine measures such as occur in my own area of Connemara where students from English speaking areas are bussed to a Gaeltacht area to attend leaving certificate classes in secondary schools where they do all subjects with increased emphasis on Irish. That should be promoted and encouraged as the kind of way we should promote the Gaeltacht.

The United Nations reported that half of the world's 6,700 languages spoken today are in danger of disappearing. I hope this Government, working in conjunction with the 20-year strategy, will ensure that Irish is stronger in 20 years' time than it is today.

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