(ENGLISH BELOW)

Inniú, mar chuid de phróiseas comhairliúcháin an rialtais maidir le polasaí don oideachas lánGhaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a ullmhú, d’fhoilsigh Sinn Féin an aighneacht atá curtha isteach acu.

Déanann an t-aighneacht bunchuspóirí molta ag Sinn Féin don chóras oideachais i leith na Gaeilge a leagan amach, chomh maith le bearnaí a aithint agus freagraí ar na mórcheisteanna curtha mar chuid den phróiseas comhairliúcháin.

Dúirt urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD:

“Mar is gnách leis an rialtas seo, tá an polasaí mall, an próiseas comhairliúcháin lochtach, agus an cur chuige easnamhach agus srianta. Dúradh go bhfoilseofá an polasaí anuraidh, níor cuireadh tús leis an bpróiseas comhairliúcháin ach le déanaí, agus tá neamhaird iomlán déanta ar oideachas tríú-leibhéal nó níos déanaí sa saol.

“É sin ráite, fáiltíonn Sinn Féin roimh an deis ár ladar a chur sa scéal maidir le polasaí don oideachas lánGhaeilge, agus tá súil againn go dtabharfar éisteacht don méid atá le rá againn.

“I measc na príomhmoltaí curtha chun cinn, táimid ag rá gur chóir glacadh leis mar cheart oideachas trí Ghaeilge a fháil, agus spriocanna céimneacha a chur i bhfeidhm maidir le soláthar chun a chinntiú go ndéanfar freastal ar an éileamh, agus an t-éileamh sin a fhás.

“Teastaíonn spriocanna uaillmhianacha má táimid dáiríre faoi dualgais eile reachtúla maidir le húsáid na Gaeilge i soláthair seirbhísí agus earcaíocht don státchóras, agus pleanáil straitéiseach taighdebhunaithe chun na spriocanna indéanta sin a bhaint amach.

Thacaigh urlabhraí Oideachais Shinn Féin, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD, leis:

“D’éist Sinn Féin go géar leis an méid a bhí le rá ag Gaeloideachas agus eagrais eile faoin bpolasaí seo, agus tréaslaíonn muid iad as an sárobair déanta acu chun aird thuismitheoirí, múinteoirí agus soláthraí a tharraingt ar an deis seo athruithe suntasacha a dhéanamh ar chur chuige an stáit. Tá a lán dá gcuid moltaí le feiceáil san aighneacht seolta againn inniu.

“Tá tuairimí ar leith leagtha amach againn maidir le sholáthar múinteora, forbairt ghairmiúil leanúnach, áiseanna, riachtanais speisialta oideachais, éagsúlacht agus ionchuimsiú, agus ról an phobail ag tacú le hoideachas lánGhaeilge.

“Níl anseo ach moltaí áfach, agus fáiltíonn Sinn Féin i gcónaí roimh aiseolas ina leith. Táimid fós ag obair ar ár bpolasaí cuimsitheach don oideachas trí Gaeilge ón naíonra go dtí an tríú leibhéal agus ina dhiadh, de réir mar a bhí beartaithe ag Ard Fheis Shinn Féin na bliana 2021.

“Tá sé léirithe ag Airí Oideachais de chuid Shinn Féin ó Thuaidh ar nós Martin McGuinness conas is féidir difear mór millteach a dhéanamh le cur chuige úr agus uaillmhianach chun borradh a chur faoin oideachas lánGhaeilge, agus dá mbeadh rialtas Shinn Féin i gcumhacht sa stát seo bheadh an Ghaeilge lárnach mar phríomhthosaíocht ag an tAire Oideachais acu.”

(ENGLISH VERSION)

Sinn Féin publishes submission on Policy for Irish Medium Education – Aengus Ó Snodaigh & Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Today, as part of the consultation process underway by government in relation to preparing a policy for Irish medium education outside the Gaeltacht, Sinn Féin has published its submission.

The submission sets out the core principles Sinn Féin proposes for the education system with regards Irish, as well as identifying gaps and suggesting answers to the main questions put as part of the consultation process.

Sinn Féin’s Irish language, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture spokesperson, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, said:

“As per usual with this government, this policy is late, the consultation process is flawed, and the approach is lacking and restrictive. We were told the policy would be published last year, the consultation process has only recently begun, and third level and later life education have been totally ignored.

“That said, Sinn Féin welcomes the opportunity to feed into the policy for Irish medium education, and we hope that what we have to say here will be given a proper hearing.

“Amongst the key recommendations we are putting forward here, we say that access to Irish medium education should be treated as a right, and progressive targets should be put in place in terms of provision to ensure that demand is not alone satisfied, but grown.

“Ambitious targets are needed if we are serious about other statutory obligations towards the use of Irish in the provision of services and recruitment for the public service, as is strategic evidence-based planning to reach those achievable targets.”

Sinn Féin’s Education spokesperson, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, agreed:

“Sinn Féin has listened closely to what Gaeloideachas and other organisations have had to say on this policy, and we commend the work they have put in to draw the attention of parents, teachers and providers to this opportunity to significantly change the state’s approach. Many of their proposals can be seen in the submission we have sent in today.

“We outline ideas relating to the supply of teachers, continuous professional development, resources, special needs education, diversity and inclusion, and the role of the community in supporting Irish medium education.

“These are only proposals however, and Sinn Féin welcomes feedback. We continue to work on a comprehensive policy for education through Irish from naíonra to third level and beyond, as was agreed by the 2021 Sinn Féin Ard Fheis.

“Sinn Féin Education Ministers in the north, like Martin McGuinness, have shown the big difference a fresh approach and ambition can make to put wind in the sails of Irish medium education, and if a Sinn Féin government were in charge in this state, Irish would be a top priority for the Minister for Education.”