Tá buairt léirithe ag urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon, Cultúir, Turasóireachta agus Meán Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, faoi chinneadh Fhianna Fáil agus Fhine Gael deireadh a chur leis na scéimeanna teanga i gcomhlachtaí poiblí sula bhfuil na caighdeáin nua teanga a bhí le teacht i gcomharba orthu fiú dréachtaithe.

Mar atá tuairisciú ag Tuairisc.ie, ón Sathairn seo 21ú Nollaig, ní bheidh feidhm a thuilleadh leis na scéimeanna a gcuireann dualgais breise ar sheirbhísí stáit anuas ar an méid atá luaite sa reachtaíocht.

Dúirt Cathaoirleach Shinn Féin ar an gCoiste Oireachtas Gaeilge ó 2020 go 2024:

“Tá gach baol ann go mbeidh cúlú suntasach ar chearta teanga sa Stát seo mar thoradh ar mhoilleadóireacht ó Rialtas a d’inis bréag linn.

“Nuair ar pléadh Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2021 agus córas na gcaighdeán teanga, gealladh ar dtús go mbeadh dréacht-chaighdeáin foilsithe le feiceáil againn sula n-achtófar na hathruithe ar an gcéad dul síos.

“Dúirt an tAire Stáit Gaeltachta Jack Chambers chomh fada siar le 2020 go raibh oifigigh a Roinne “i mbun dréachtú na gcaighdeán seo” ag an staid sin. Ansin dúradh go raibh gá an Coiste Comhairleach a bhunú faoin Acht chun a gcomhairle a fháil ar na caighdeáin, fad is a bhí siad ag ullmhú Plean Náisiúnta do Sheirbhísí Gaeilge.

“Gealladh i gcónaí áfach go mbeadh na caighdeáin i bhfeidhm go luath. Léirigh mé imní faoin gcur chuige seo, agus chuir mé leasuithe chun cinn chun caighdeáin a dhaingniú san Acht agus cinntiú nach dtarlodh lacúna i ndualgaisí na gcomhlachtaí poiblí, ach sin go díreach atá tarlaithe.

“D’admhaigh an Rialtas sa deireadh go raibh an ceart agam nuair ar chinn siad foráil a chur isteach i mBille Údarás na Gaeltachta chun síneadh a thabhairt do na scéimeanna teanga reatha, ach dhiúltaigh siad an Bille sin a rith tapaidh go leor in ainneoin gach deis a thug an Coiste Gaeilge dóibh.

“Ansin ghlaoigh siad toghcháin luath gan an fhadhb seo a réiteach. Anois, trí bliana ó achtaíodh an Acht, tá an Coiste Comhairleach críochnaithe, tá Plean Náisiúnta gan gnímh geallta ann foilsithe, tá deireadh tagtha leis na scéimeanna teanga, agus fós níl tásc ná tuairisc ar chaighdeáin.

“Dar leis an Roinn anois, níl fiú tús curtha le caighdeáin a dhréachtú, agus ní chuirfidh go dtí go bhfuil “obair comhairliúcháin” breise nár lorg aon duine agus nach bhfuil luaite san Acht.

“D’inis an tAire Chambers bréag don Dáil i 2020 faoin dréachtú a bheith ar bhun, agus beidh air leithscéal a ghabháil agus míniú a thabhairt.

“Beidh ar an rialtas nua gníomhú go gasta nuair atá siad bunaithe chun reachtaíocht a rith ag tabhairt feidhm sealadach do na seanscéimeanna arís go dtí go bhfuil caighdeáin dréachtaithe agus i bhfeidhm.

“Tá sé seo rídháiríre. Tá cearta teanga á mbaint uainn toisc rialtas Fhianna Fáil agus Fine Gael. Ní bheidh na cosaintí céanna ag Gaeil ag lorg seirbhísí ina dteanga féin agus meas ón státchóras anois.”

Government lies and delays cause huge step backwards in language rights – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts, Culture, Tourism and Media, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, has expressed concerns about the decision by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to abolish the language schemes of public bodies before even drafting the new language standards meant to replace them.

As reported by Tuairisc.ie, from this Saturday 21st December, the schemes which place legal obligations on state services above what is outlined in legislation will cease to apply.

The Sinn Féin Chair of the Oireachtas Irish language Committee from 2020 to 2024 said:

“There is every danger that a significant erosion of language rights in this State will result from delays by a Government which lied to us.

“When we discussed the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 and the new language standards framework, we were first promised that draft-standards would be published for us to see before the changes were enacted in the first place.

“Then Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers, as far back as 2020 said officials in his Department were “in the process of drafting these standards” at that stage. Then we were told there was a need to establish the Advisory Committee under the Act to seek its advice on the standards as they were preparing a National Plan for Irish Language Services.

“We were promised throughout, however, that the standards would soon be in place. I expressed concern about this approach, and proposed amendments to cement the standards into the Act and ensure no lacuna arose in terms of the duties of public bodies, but that is exactly what has happened.

“The Government finally admitted I was right when they decided to include a provision in the Údarás na Gaeltachta Bill to extend the current language schemes, but they refused to pass this Bill in time, despite every opportunity having been given to them by the Irish Language Committee.

“Then they called an early election without this problem being resolved. Now, three years from the Act being enacted, the Advisory Committee is finished, the National Plan with no promised actions has been published, the language schemes have come to their end, and there is still no sign of the standards.

“Now the Department says they haven’t even started drafting the standards, and won’t do so until after additional “consultation work” which nobody asked for and is not set out in the Act.

“Minister Chambers lied to the Dáil in 2020 about drafting being underway, and he will have to give an apology and an explanation. The new Government will have to act quickly once formed to pass legislation giving temporary effect to the old schemes once again until the standards are drafted and in force.

“This is incredibly important. Language rights are being taken away from us because of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Government. Gaels will no longer have the same protections in seeking services in their own language and respect from the public service.”