Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle agus tá áthas ormsa deis labhartha a bheith agam sa díospóireacht seo i rith Sheachtain na Gaeilge, nó coicís na Gaeilge i ndáiríre atá ann. Bhí mé ag éisteacht, mar is gnách dom, leis an méid a bhí á rá ag an Teachta Ó Snodaigh. Dúirt sé nach mbaineann Teachtaí Dála sa Teach seo deis go minic an Ghaeilge a úsáid, agus dúirt sé chomh maith gurbh é an phríomhchúis atá ann an scéal a bheith amhlaidh ná nach bhfuil mórán suim ag na meáin chumarsáide, go háirithe na nuachtáin, as óráidí as Gaeilge a chlúdach. Is dóigh liom go bhfuil an ceart aige. Caithfimid a bheith cinnte nach mbeidh mórán scríofa ar an méid a bheidh le rá againn inniu.

Aithníonn Páirtí an Lucht Oibre an áit lárnach atá ag teanga na Gaeilge i gcomhthéacs oidhreacht agus stair na hÉireann agus gur áis shaibhir bheo na linne seo í. Fáiltímid roimh an ardú suntasach atá tagtha ar líon na ndaoine atá ag labhairt na Gaeilge go laethúil. Tá sé ar chumas mórán daoine sa tír seo an Ghaeilge a úsáid, más mian leo.

Ó thaobh oideachais, áfach, theip orainne, chun an fhírinne a rá, an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn. Is féidir pointí a scóráil ó thaobh polaitíocht na bpáirtithe de, ach mar thír agus mar Stát, theip orainn maidir le múineadh na Gaeilge agus foghlaim na Gaeilge ó thráth bhunú an Stáit. Tá an fhadhb sin ann. Dúirt mé le linn an phlé ar an ábhar seo an bhliain seo caite gur ait an rud go gcaitheann páistí sna scoileanna anseo níos mó ná deich mbliana ag foghlaim teanga ach níl ar a gcumas, tar éis na ndeich mbliana sin a chaitheamh i mbun foghlama na Gaeilge, an teanga a labhairt go flúirseach agus go líofa ina dhiaidh sin.

Níl sé mar sin in aon tír eile. Caithfimid é sin a adhmháil. Tá sé dochreidte. Níl a fhios agam cén fáth go bhfuil an scéal mar sin. Cén fáth nach bhfuil páistí in ann an teanga a úsáid tar éis deich mbliana a chaitheamh ag foghlaim Gaeilge sa scoil? Tá sé deacair a rá cén fáth go bhfuil sé mar sin, ach tá sé mar sin. Tá dualgas orainn an méid sin a admháil agus rud a dhéanamh faoi. Más fíor go bhfuil sé mar aidhm againn an Ghaeilge a athbheochan, caithfimid a bheith macánta faoi staid na Gaeilge sna scoileanna. Seasann Páirtí an Lucht Oibre do chosaint agus d'fhorbairt na Gaeltachta. Spreagfar iad siúd atá ina gcónaí sna ceantair Ghaeltachta an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim agus a úsáid sna ceantair sin.

Cúpla seachtain ó shin d'fhoilsigh ár bpáirtí Eorpach, the Party of European Socialists, PES, a fhorógra i nGaeilge, "Conradh Sóisialta Nua don Eoraip". Tá an deis againn an Aontas a athrú agus Eoraip níos cothroime a thógáil sna toghcháin Eorpacha atá le teacht. I bhforógra Pháirtí na Sóisialaithe Eorpacha molaimid "folláine na saoránach a ráthú agus a chinntiú go ndéanfar dul chun cinn sóisialta". Tá sé sin ag teastáil ag muintir na hEorpa i gcoitinne.

I welcome the opportunity, as we do annually, to speak on the Irish language. Others have said it is a shame there is a certain tokenism about the fact that we speak in a specific debate for an hour or two during St. Patrick's week annually. Many, including me, had greater proficiency in Irish years ago than now. In my judgment, this is because of the lack of use. We lose vocabulary and then the confidence to use the language, particularly in technical debates or interviews on technical issues, because we are afraid of making mistakes. This is something we need to address. We need to make a conscious effort to promote the use of Irish. Most of us have a reasonable vocabulary that is sometimes suppressed but we are not confident about stringing together coherent and clear sentences, particularly on technical issues.

We are aware that there is a hunger among all people to use Irish again. There is a hunger to learn it, embrace it and use it properly. To realise this, one need only consider some of the current initiatives, such as the pop-up Gaeltacht. This takes place across the country right now. Hundreds of people try to use the Irish they have and are encouraged to do so without being in any way disparaged for inaccuracies and failures. Giving people confidence to use the Irish vocabulary they have without fear of ridicule or adverse comment is a really important contribution to growing the language, a language that has endured on this island for centuries and that I have no doubt will endure for many centuries to come. We need, however, to go beyond talking annually about the failings of the education system in this regard. I cannot think of any other country where children have such prolonged exposure to a language but come out of the education system without being proficient in it. We need to think again to ensure that, whatever proper analysis we do - there has been a considerable amount - we can give people the capacity to use the Irish language and provide an atmosphere, infrastructure or environment in which all of us can use the Irish we have more frequently and, hopefully over time, with greater fluency. Go raibh maith agat.

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