Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when work will commence on the development of the 20-year strategy for the Irish language to increase the use and knowledge of the language nationally; and the length of time it is estimated that this work will take. [7879/07]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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On 19 December 2006, the Government published a policy statement on the Irish language, The Irish Government: Statement on the Irish Language 2006. The statement commits the Government to the development of a 20-year strategy.

The Government's policy is to increase awareness and use of the Irish language as a community language on a phased basis. Its specific aim is to ensure as many citizens as possible are bilingual in Irish and in English. The intention is not to displace the English language but to strengthen the Irish language. In many European countries, it is a normal occurrence that people are bilingual. The vision for Ireland is similar, with both English and Irish being widely used on a daily basis.

I am meeting Fóram na Gaeilge next Monday to discuss further the development of the strategy and the role of the Fóram in this regard. I intend the Government's policy statement, launched by the Taoiseach before Christmas, to be the foundation for practical action for the Irish language, based on a modern approach and a comprehensive strategy.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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The Minister's answer is like the statement on the Irish language made in December — nothing really new or much in it. The Minister has a litany of projects that were started but not finished. For instance, Fóram na Gaeilge was to develop a 20-year strategy but very little has emanated from it. The Minister initiated an analysis of the Gaeltacht boundaries but again the work is not completed. Is the promise of a strategy just a sop to those with an interest in the Irish language? Very little is being done to prepare a comprehensive strategy. Without a proper strategy, the current decline of the Irish language will continue. Recently, I noted the Minister invited statements on the strategy.

Deputies:

I invite the Deputy to ask a question.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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How will the Minister develop the strategy in the remaining lifetime of the Government? Essentially, the statement was a sop, with no thought given to a structure to develop a proper strategy.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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When the statement was put together, I commented to a colleague that I would be accused of having nothing in it——

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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The Minister is perfectly right.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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——and then when people realised how comprehensive it was, I would be accused, as with the languages Act, of having too much in it. For example, the commitment to fully implement the languages Act is a comprehensive statement while the Act covers a wide-ranging area. The statement states the strategy will aim to provide a wide range of services to parents who wish to raise their children through Irish. The statement is comprehensive and the clearest commitment from Government in over 40 years. I see the process as almost like the Constitution and now we need the law. The headlines are set so that those working on the strategy know the Government's intention.

Fóram na Gaeilge will meet next Monday. As I stated in the press release issued with the statement, €300,000 has been set aside for the development of the strategy and high level advice will be sought. Since I became Minister, the languages Act has been implemented and Oifig Choimisinéir na dTeangacha Oifigiúla has been established. Official working language status has been achieved for the Irish language in the EU. While the strategy was announced in 2005, it was decided a 20-year strategy could not be implemented if we did not know what we wanted to do. It was then decided to publish the statement first, which lays the high level Government objectives in a readable format for the public, and then to base a detailed strategy on it.

The Staidéar Teangeolaíochta has recently reported to me. It is a comprehensive document which I want to study. It is intended to have a public consultation process. There is no point in me publishing a report which I have not read.

Deputies:

There is little time for Priority Questions but I will allow a brief supplementary.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Obviously, the boundaries of the Gaeltacht will not be changed in the remaining lifetime of the Government. The Minister referred to the Acht teanga and the stádas oifigúil in Europe, his two main achievements. Has this enticed people to become committed to the Irish language? The strategy must be all-inclusive for Gaeltacht and Galltacht. Its most important aim must be to enlarge the group of people who want to use the Irish language.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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It is significant that last year saw the largest number of children ever attending Irish colleges in the Gaeltacht. The status of the Irish language has been enhanced. All language experts claim the status of a language has a large effect on the interests people show in it. That is clear if one compares what happened in the last century in Ireland and Scotland.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Will the Minister provide me with the empirical information to back up this assertion?

Deputies:

Question No. 72 cannot be taken as Deputy Crowe is not present.