Polasaí Pleanála & Tithíochta ‘is cuimsithí riamh ag páirtí polaitiúil’ Seolta ag Sinn Féin don Ghaeltacht – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD
Mhaígh urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, as a bheith ag seoladh an polasaí pleanála agus tithíochta Gaeltachta ‘is cuimsithí riamh ag páirtí polaitiúil’ inniú agus seoladh an pholasaí ‘Ag Pleanáil don athchóiriú’ eagraithe d’Ionad Pobail an Spidéil sa Cheardlann ag a 1i.n. inniú.
Tá 10 Príomh Moltaí leagtha amach sa pholasaí dhátheangach seo a cuireadh le chéile thar thréimhse bliain iomlán, bunaithe ar éilimh gníomhairí Gaeltachta agus údaráis áitiúla araon, agus sonraí teagmhála sa doiciméid freisin le haghaidh urlabhraí agus ionadaithe Shinn Féin fud fad na Gaeltachta.
Dúirt an Teachta Ó Snodaigh:
“Tá an Ghaeilge beo beathach agus ag fás, ach is léir go bhfuil géarchéim ar leith sa Ghaeltacht. Níl ach duine as gach cúigear ag labhairt Gaeilge go laethúil ann, agus tá rabhadh tugtha ag na saineolaithe le fada an lá go bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar theanga labhartha sa phobal ann i mbaol.
“Tá an phleanáil ina chruacheist ar leith.
“Cuireann an polasaí reatha bac ar theaghlaigh Gaeltachta tithe a thógáil ar a dtalamh féin chun deis a thabhairt don chéad glúin eile fanacht sa Ghaeltacht agus clanna a thógáil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Bíonn brú ar Ghaeilgeoirí an Ghaeltacht a fhágáil chun clanna a thógáil, rud a dhéanann scrios ar inmharthanacht na siopaí áitiúla, na scoileanna, clubanna, srl., ag cur le Béarlú agus bánú leanúnach.
“Sin an fáth go dteastaíonn cur chuige dáiríre ón rialtas, agus leagtar amach sa pholasaí seo cad a dhéanfadh Sinn Féin i rialtas chun tabhairt faoin dúshlán seo. Teastaíonn reachtaíocht nua chun a chinntiú nach mbeidh ar phobail Gaeltachta dul chun na cúirte chun iad féin a chosaint.
“Tá Sinn Féin ag moladh go dteastódh measúnú tionchair teanga ar aon fhorbairt 2 teach nó níos mó ag léiriú nach ndéanfadh siad dochar d’úsáid na Gaeilge sa phobal áitiúil. I gcás tithe saoire, molann muid féachaint ar chóras na Breataine Bige ina dteastaíonn cead pleanála speisialta leo ag brath ar riachtanais na háite, agus tá córas mar sin curtha i bhfeidhm againn i nDún na nGall cheana féin.
“Tá gá freisin le caighdeán náisiúnta áit a bhfuil céatadán tithe in aon fhorbairt curtha ar leataobh do Ghaeilgeoirí, ionas gur féidir a bheith cinnte go bhfuil a dhóthain Gaeilge acu chun páirt a ghlacadh sa phobal labhartha ann – molaimid leibhéal B2 nó níos airde de réir an Chomhchreat Eorpach.
“Má táimid tiomanta i dtreo an géarchéim tithíochta a réiteach, ní mór dúinn tithe sóisialta agus inacmhainne a chur ar fáil do Ghaeilgeoirí sa Ghaeltacht freisin, ag freastal ar riachtanais na háite agus ag mealladh Gaeilgeoirí ó lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht chun athlonnú ann.
“Teastaíonn cur chuige uile-rialtais chun cás na Gaeltachta a thabhairt slán, agus i measc na moltaí eile tá beartaithe againn pleanáil taighdebhunaithe a dhéanamh go leanúnach ar an gcás sochtheangeolaíoch ann agus forálacha Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla a bhaineann le seirbhísí bunúsacha a sholáthar do phobal Gaeltachta ina dteanga féin a chur i bhfeidhm faoi dheireadh.
“Molaimid spreagadh ar leith freisin do thuismitheoirí chun páistí a thógáil le Gaeilge, agus is é sin an fáth dar linn gur gá Scéim Labhairt na Gaeilge a thabhairt ar ais agus a leathnú amach ionas go mbeidh páistí scoile agus réamhscoile san áireamh. Tá €500 an pháiste á lorg againn in aghaidh na bliana mar aitheantas go bhfuil costas sa bhreis ag baint le páiste a thógáil le Gaeilge nuair atá Béarlú ar bhun chuile háit thart timpeall.”
Sinn Féin launches ‘most comprehensive’ Gaeltacht Housing & Planning Policy ‘ever by a political party’ – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD
Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, today heralded that the Gaeltacht Housing and Planning Policy being launched by Sinn Féin at An Spidéal Community Centre in the Ceardlann at 1pm today is ‘the most comprehensive ever by a political party’.
The policy lays out 10 Key Recommendations that have been put together over the course of a year, based on the demands of Gaeltacht activists as well as local authorities, and contact details for Sinn Féin’s spokespeople and representatives across the Gaeltacht can also be found within.
Teachta Ó Snodaigh said:
“The Irish language is vibrant and growing, but it is clear that there is a crisis in the Gaeltacht. Only one in five are speaking Irish daily there, and the experts have warned for years that Irish as a spoken language of the community is in danger.
“Planning is a key issue.
“Current policy makes it hard for Gaeltacht families to build houses on their own land and give the next generation a chance to stay in the Gaeltacht and raise children through Irish. Irish speakers face pressure to leave the Gaeltacht in order to raise families, which damages the ability of local shops, schools, clubs, and so on to survive, adding to continuous anglicization and depopulation.
“This is why we need a serious approach from government, and in this policy we have laid out what Sinn Féin would do in government to address this challenge. New legislation is needed to ensure that Gaeltacht communities never again have to go to the courts to defend themselves.
“Sinn Féin believes linguistic impact assessments should be required for any developments of 2 houses or more to show that they will not damage the use of Gaeilge locally. In the case of holiday homes, we recommend examining the Welsh system where special planning permission is required depending on local need, something we have already put in place in Donegal.
“We also need a nationwide standard for instances where a percentage of houses in a development are set aside for Irish speakers, so we can be sure that they have sufficient Irish to take part in the spoken community there – we recommend level B2 or higher under the Common European Framework.
“If we are serious about fixing the housing crisis, we must also provide social and affordable housing for Irish speakers in the Gaeltacht, serving local needs as well as attracting Irish speakers from further afield to resettle there.
“An all of government approach is needed if we are to secure the future of the Gaeltacht, and among the other recommendations we are proposing regular evidence-based planning on the socio-linguistic situation there and that the provisions of the Official Languages Act on ensuring basic services are provided to Gaeltacht communities in their own language are finally implemented.
“We also call for an incentive for parents to raise their children in Irish, which is why we believe Scéim Labhairt na Gaeilge (the Irish Speaking Scheme) should be re-established and expanded so that school and pre-school children would be included. We are proposing €500 per child each year in recognition for the additional cost that goes with raising a child through Irish where English is being pushed from every angle.”
