Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

The statistics are there to prove that the greater number of people achieve higher standards in higher level French or other modern languages than they do in Irish, our own native language. Therefore something is wrong.

The proposals of Fine Gael are that we would, first, give far greater resources at primary level and improve the facilities for teacher training at that level. Good work has been done by the gaelscoileanna throughout the country and we should acknowledge that fact. On Monday evening I was in a Gaeltacht area and I spoke with a teacher. He stated that he was teaching subjects to honours leaving certificate standard trí Gaeilge, and there are no official textbooks which he can use. Something is wrong in such a case.

Many people remember just a few years ago a company being established in a Gaeltacht area to provide textbooks as Ghaeilge, perhaps translating books that were being used at secondary and primary level. That company was not supported by Údarás na Gaeltachta by way of any deontas a raibh le fáil. That was wrong, and it was the first indication of the failure of the Government to respond to a need that was there to support the Irish language. We must address the issue.

The 2002 census demonstrates the decline in the numbers of the people using Irish as their primary language on a daily basis. There was a decline of 4%, even within the Gaeltacht areas. That must be a warning light to all concerned about the Irish language. That is the reality of the census, and the commissioner himself drew attention to it.