English version below: The day Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael reject the right to Irish medium education – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Thug urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta agus Ealaíon Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, ‘feall ar ár dteanga agus orthu siúd a throid agus a fuair bás ar son Éire Ghaelach’ ar chinneadh Fhianna Fáil, Fhine Gael agus Neamhspleáigh Lowry diúltú le cearta Gaeloideachais.

Bhí an Teachta Ó Snodaigh ag labhairt roimh vóta anocht ar rún Shinn Féin atá i gceist ag an Rialtas a leasú chun fáil réidh leis an gceart sin.

Dúirt an Teachta Dála ar son Baile Átha Cliath Lár Theas:

“Déanfar cuimhniú ar an lá inniu mar an lá ar a dhiúltaigh Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael do cheart ár leanaí Gaeloideachas a fháil.

“Luaigh an Teachta Dessie Ellis focail cáiliúil Pádraig Mac Piarais sa díospóireacht aréir, “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam”, ach cuireadh i gcuimhne mé ar líne eile dá chuid sa dán Mise Éire, “Mo chlann féin a dhíol a máthair”, nó “a máthairtheanga” sa chás seo.

“Cad a bheadh le rá ag an bPiarsach faoin Rialtas reatha gan anam? Nó ag Micheál Ó Coileáin a dúirt go mbeadh athchóiriú ár dteanga mar an tasca ba mhó le sárú againn? Nó ag an gConghaileach? Nó ag De Valera?

“I rún dár dteideal “an gCeart chun Oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge do Chách a Ráthú”, tá Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael ag moladh an ceart sin a scrios ón téacs, chomh maith le 23 mór-éilimh Shinn Féin.

“Tá na feachtais ar leith atá tar éis a gcuid éilimh a chur faoi bhráid Coiste Oireachtais na Gaeilge – Gaelscoil 10 & 12 agus Gaelcholáiste 2468 i mo dháilcheantar féin ina measc – á scrios ón téacs freisin fiú.

“Dá mbeadh fadhb ag an Rialtas le gnéithe eile dár rún, d’fhéadfadh leo leasú a mholadh ar na codanna sin nár aontaigh siad leo. In áit sin, tá an tAire Fhine Gael Helen McEntee ag moladh fáil réidh leis an rud ina iomlán, cé nach raibh sí in ann easaontú leis an loighic nó na fíricí luaite ann.

“Níor labhair oiread is Teachta amháin ó Fianna Fáil sa díospóireacht aréir faoin nGaeloideachas.

“Déanann leasú an Rialtas an Rialtas féin a mholadh as jab chomh iontach a dhéanamh tar éis dóibh titim a bhainistiú ar an líon ag freastal ar scoileanna lánGhaeilge don chéad uair le leathchéad, chomh maith le pléascadh 520% ar dhíolúintí ón nGaeilge agus ciorraithe ar uaireanta teagaisc sna scoileanna Béarla.

“Caithfidh gurb iad Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael an t-aon dream in Éirinn atá den tuairim nach bhfuil an soláthar don Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais briste.

“Tá fís leagtha amach ag Sinn Féin.

“I gcodarsnacht, níl leagtha amach ag an Rialtas ach flúirse geallúint gan brí atá tugtha agus briste cheana féin chun athbhreithnithe, próisis comhairliúcháin agus tascfhórsaí a eagrú chun an méid atá ar eolas againn cheana féin a fháil amach.

“Tá pobail ag lorg scoileanna lánGhaeilge le dóthain fóirne iontu, níl siad ag lorg “múnlaí athshamhlaithe don soláthar” mar atá molta ag an Rialtas.

“Níl amchlár ag baint le moladh ar bith acu, agus ní haon chúiteamh iad ar an gceart tumoideachais a scrios.

“Leis an bplámás go léir ó Theachtaí Fhianna Fáil, Fhine Gael agus Neamshpleáigh Lowry le linn Seachtain na Gaeilge, an mbeidh sé de mhisneach ag aon duine acu ordú McEntee a sheachaint agus seasamh suas do chearta ár leanaí sa vóta anocht?

The day Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael reject the right to Irish medium education – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht and the Arts, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, has labelled the decision of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry Independents to reject the right to Irish medium education a ‘betrayal of our language and of those who fought and died for a Gaelic Ireland’.

Teachta Ó Snodaigh was speaking ahead of tonight’s vote on a Sinn Féin motion which Government seek to amend to remove that right.

The Dublin South Central TD said:

“Let today be remembered as the day Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael rejected the right to Irish medium education for our children.

“Teachta Dessie Ellis quoted Pádraig Pearse’s famous words “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam” (A land without a language is a land without a soul) in yesterday’s debate, but I am reminded of another line from his poem Mise Éire, when he spoke of “my own children who sold their mother”, or in this case “their mother-tongue”.

“What would Pearse say of the current soulless Government? Or Michael Collins who said our “biggest task will be the restoration of our language”? Or Connolly? Or De Valera?

“In a motion entitled “Guaranteeing the Right to Education in Irish for all”, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are proposing to delete that right from the text, along with all 23 of Sinn Féin’s key asks.

“Even the individual campaigns who have argued their case to the Oireachtas Irish Language Committee – including Gaelscoil 10 & 12 and Gaelcholáiste 2468 in my own constituency – are being deleted from the text.

“If the Government took issue with other parts of our motion, they could have proposed to amend those parts with which they disagreed. Instead, Minister Helen McEntee proposes to scrap the whole thing, even though she couldn’t dispute the logic and facts contained within.

“Not one Fianna Fáil TD even spoke in last night’s debate.”

“The Government amendment seeks to pat themselves on the back for doing such a great job after overseeing a decline in attendance at Irish medium schools for the first time in half a century as well as a 520% explosion in exemptions from Irish and cuts to teaching hours in English medium schools.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael must be the only people in Ireland who think the way we provide for Irish in our education system is not broken.

“Sinn Féin has laid out a vision.

“By contrast, the Government has laid out a meaningless plethora of promises they’ve made and broken before to hold never-ending reviews, consultation processes and taskforces to find out what we already know.

“Communities are demanding fully-staffed Irish medium schools, not “reconceptualised models of provision” which Government is proposing.

“Not one of their proposals comes with a timeframe for delivery, and none of them make up for deleting the right to immersive education.

“For all the guff from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Lowry Independent TDs this Seachtain na Gaeilge, will any of them have the courage to defy McEntee’s edict and stand up for the rights of our children in tonight’s vote?”