Cháin urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon, Cultúir, Turasóireachta agus Meán Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, cinneadh an Rialtais gan pingin rua a chur i dtreo an géarchéim sa Ghaeloideachas, fad is atá €9 milliúin le caitheamh ag an Aire Norma Foley ar phócaí do fóin póca ar scoil.

Dúirt an Teachta Ó Snodaigh:

“Tá géarchéim as cuimse sa Ghaeloideachas. In ainneoin gur gealladh sa Chlár Rialtais go ndéanfar dúbailt ar líon na ndaltaí i scoileanna lánGhaeilge, tá titim tagtha don chéad uair le 50 bliain, toisc nach ndéanann soláthar freastal ar éileamh ó thuismitheoirí.

“Níl foirgneamh buan ag 39% de Ghaelscoileanna an stáit, agus dúirt 50% acu nach rabhadar in ann folúntais fad-théarmach múinteora a líonadh, i gcomparáid le 28% de na bunscoileanna Béarla, dar le suirbhé de chuid an INTO. Tá buairt léirithe ag Ard Chigire na Roinne Oideachais faoi chaighdeán an teagaisc Gaeilge.

“Is féidir tabhairt faoin ngéarchéim seo a réiteach. Is féidir na liúntais do múinteoirí Gaelscoile agus Gaeltachta a thabhairt ar ais. Is féidir seachtain breise tumoideachais a thabhairt do ábhair oidí sa Ghaeltacht. Is féidir ciste caipitil a chur ar fáil chun an leithcheal ar an earnáil Gaeilge a cheartú.

“Bhí an t-airgead do na tograí sin go léir san áireamh i mBuiséad malartach Shinn Féin.

“Níl oiread agus tagairt don oideachas lánGhaeilge i mBuiséad an Rialtais.

“Dhiúltaigh siad an €7.1 milliúin maoiniú reatha a chaitheamh ar an nGaeloideachas, mar a mhol Sinn Féin.

“In áit sin, tá sé beartaithe acu €9 milliúin a chaitheamh ar phócaí speisialta chun fóin póca na ndaltaí a choimeád fad is atá siad ar scoil. Tá sé dochreidte go gceapfadh duine ar bith gurb é sin an réiteach a theastaíonn chun daltaí a stopadh ag úsáid a gcuid fóin ar scoil.

“Mar a tharlaíonn, tá an maoiniú seo ar chomhchéim leis an mbuiséad iomlán atá le caitheamh ar an nGaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Foras na Gaeilge agus TG4 san áireamh. Tá na pócaí fóin níos tábhachtaí ná gach cheann acu seo.

“Ach seachas léiriú arís uair amháin eile cé chomh tógtha is atá Rialtas Fhine Gael agus Fhianna Fáil le cur amú airgid an stáit, léiríonn sé freisin go bhfuil pócaí fóin níos tábhachtaí ná ár dteanga náisiunta sa chóras oideachais.

“Chuirfeadh Sinn Féin deireadh leis an gcur amú airgid, agus thabharfadh muid tús áite don Ghaeilge sa Roinn Oideachais, le Aire Stáit ar leith chun tacú leis na hAirí sinsearacha Oideachais agus Gaeltachta ar an dtosaíocht seo, agus leis an maoiniú agus meas cuí.”

Phone pockets more important than the Irish language in the Education System – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts, Culture, Tourism and Media, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, has criticised the Government’s decision to not allocate a single cent towards the crisis in Irish Medium education, while Minister Norma Foley will be spending €9 million on pockets for phones at school.

Teachta Ó Snodaigh said:

“There is an unprecedented crisis in Irish Medium education. Despite promising in the Programme for Government to double the number of students at Irish Medium schools, there has been a decline for the first time in 50 years, with supply not meeting demand from parents.

“39% of Gaelscoils in this state don’t have a permanent building, and 50% said they can’t fill long-term teaching vacancies compared with 28% in English-medium schools, according to an INTO survey. The Department of Education’s Chief Inspector has raised concerns about teaching standards in Irish.

“We can work to solve this crisis. We can restore the Irish Medium and Gaeltacht teachers allowances. We can provide an extra week of immersion for trainee teachers in the Gaeltacht. We can provide a capital fund to address the unfairness towards the Irish language sector.

“The money for all of these proposals was provided for in Sinn Féin’s Alternative Budget.

“There is not even a reference to Irish Medium education in the Government’s Budget.

“They rejected Sinn Féin’s proposal to spend €7.1 million of current funding on Irish Medium education.

“Instead, they have decided to spend €9 million on special pockets to hold the mobile phones of students while they’re at school. It is outrageous that anyone could think this is the solution required to stop students using their phones at school.

“Not alone does this demonstrate yet again how invested this Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Government is in wasting state money, it also shows us that phone pockets are more important than our national language in the education system.

“In fact it’s equivalent to the entire budget this Government is spending on the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, including Údarás na Gaeltachta, Foras na Gaeilge and TG4. Each of these is less important than phone pockets.

“Sinn Féin would put an end to the waste of money, and would give pride of place to Irish in the Department of Education, with a dedicated Minister of State to support the senior Ministers for Education and for the Gaeltacht on this priority, and with the appropriate funding and respect.”