Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

To be able to use Irish is a gift coveted by many and possessed by few. Rather than apologise for my own lack of Irish, I would express a degree of regret. It is a feeling shared by many but something for which they should not apologise. The century-old State and the one that preceded it bear the greater responsibility in this regard. The State has failed on two accounts. It has failed to meet the aspirations of those who wish to have more Irish and has failed in its obligations to the rights of the minority 80,000 or so people for whom Irish is not just a school subject but the language of community and family. From Muintir na Gaeltachta in the 1930s to the Gaeltacht Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s to the campaign for a TV station, every linguistic right has had to be fought for against an intransigent State. Irish speakers will hold a demonstration called "Gaeilge for All" outside this House on 29 March in protest against this Government's approach to Irish in the education system and recent reforms which have no educational or scientific basis. We would go further and say that to achieve Gaeilge for all, we must address teachers' pay and housing and have proper provision for special needs instead of using the Irish exemption as a sop. Gaeltacht summer course fees should be covered for all who wish to go.

Over a decade ago, Fine Gael and the Labour Party cynically took away the democratic franchise for Údarás na Gaeltachta. Can the Government indicate when elections will be held, as promised in the programme for Government? The housing crisis is now the main existential threat to the Gaeltacht as a native indigenous language community and to the summer colleges, which are a cornerstone of the Gaeltacht economy. This Government has the power to extend the remit of Údarás na Gaeltachta to build public housing on public land. Will it do this?

See this speech in context