Seolann Sinn Féin a seacht nDícheall don Ghaeilge; polasaí uaillmhianach chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn sa phobal – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Mar chuid de Sheachtain na Gaeilge, sheol Sinn Féin polasaí uaillmhianach agus cuimsitheach inniu chun an Ghaeilge a normalú agus a spreagadh i mbéal an phobail.

Leagtar amach 7 mórathruithe pholasaí maidir le stádas agus úsáid na Gaeilge sa cháipéis “Ár Seacht nDícheall don Ghaeilge” a chuirfeadh Rialtas Shinn Féin i bhfeidhm thar céad téarma in oifig.

Déantar cur síos freisin sa cháipéis ar na bealaí ina ndéanfadh Rialtas de chuid Sinn Féin gach iarracht chun costais a choimeád thíos do ghnónna agus don Stát, trí mar shampla na hathruithe a thabhairt isteach thar cúpla bliain, i gcomhairle le páirtithe leasmhara, agus trí áiseanna breise a chur ar fáil chun tacú le haistriúcháin agus ullmhúcháin trí Fhoras na Gaeilge agus líonraí gnó Gaeilge áitiúla.

Is iad na seacht n-iarrachtaí ná:

• An Ceart Gaeilge a úsáid a chosaint – saor ó bhac gan chúis, ón imeaglú, ón mbullaíocht, ón chiapadh agus ón stiogmatú – a aithint sa dlí, más san ionad oibre nó i gcomhthéacs sóisialta atá, bunaithe ar mhúnla atá i bhfeidhm sa Bhreatain Bheag cheana féin.
• Pacáistiú dhátheangach a thabhairt isteach ar tháirgí sa siopa, lena n-áirítear ar rabhaidh sláinte, bunaithe ar mhúnla atá i bhfeidhm i gCeanada.
• Dualgas a chur ar innill féinfhreastal (UMBanna, meaisín ticéad, féinchúntóir cuntar) rogha Gaeilge ar chomhchaighdeán leis an mBéarla a chur ar fáil, leis an nGaeilge a réamhshocrú mar an rogha uathoibreach, agus glacadh le hainmneacha le síntí fada.
• Rialacha nua a chur i bhfeidhm maidir le heolas sa siopa, lena n-áirítear comharthaí siopa, taispeántais fuinneoige, agus biachláir, agus súil againn a chinntiú gur i nGaeilge nó go dátheangach ar a laghad atá siad.
• Treoirlíntí riachtanacha comhthéacs-bhunaithe a fhorbairt laistigh den chéad téarma i rialtas, i gcomhairle le gnónna, fógarthóirí agus an phobal, agus sprioc againn a chinntiú go n-úsáidfear 50% de spásanna fógraíochta in áiteanna poiblí do fógraí i nGaeilge.
• Gan ach logainmneacha i nGaeilge amháin a úsáid chun críocha oifigiúil – lena n-áirítear ar shíneacha bóithre, stáisiúin is stadanna iompair poiblí, agus léarscáil oifigiúil nua, nua-chrochta nó uasdátaithe – le heisceachtaí i gcás ina lorgaíonn údarás áitiúil cead ó Aire leagan den logainm i dteanga eile (Béarla, Ultais, srl) a úsáid áit ina bhfuil luach turasóireach nó oidhreachta ar leith ag baint leis an leagan sin. Is i nGaeilge amháin a bheadh aon logainm nua freisin.
• A chinntiú go ndéanfar an brandáil go léir ag eagrais stáit a chumadh trí Ghaeilge amháin.

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

“Níl teorann do chumas na hÉireann dar le Sinn Féin. Ba choir go mbeadh Éire ceannródach, ina deamhúnla do stáit dátheangacha is pobail mionteangacha eile, seachas ag treabhadh in iomaire iarchoilíneach.

“Tríd an dea-chleachtas idirnáisiúnta a nascadh le féin-mheas don tír, tá súil againn an deis a thabhairt d’fhoghlaimeoirí dul i dtaithí leis an teanga i gcomhthéacs an ghnáthshaoil lasmuigh den seomra ranga, cainteoirí éigníomhacha a chumhachtú bheith gníomhach, agus tiomantas bunreachtúil an Stáit don teanga náisiúnta a chur i bhfeidhm de réir fhís an Uachtaráin Dubhghlás De hÍde.

“Mana simplí atá mar bhunús don chur chuige nua seo: Gaeilge más féidir, Béarla más gá.

“Ní leor na polasaithe seo amháin chun an sprioc atá againn úsáid na Gaeilge a athchóiriú fud fad na tíre, ach bunchloch a bheadh iontu dár gcuid iarrachtaí, taobh le Polasaí Tithíochta & Pleanála Gaeltachta Shinn Fein a seoladh anuraidh, agus polasaí cuimsitheach don Ghaeilge san Oideachas de réir an bhunúis sonraithe inár n-aighneacht ar Pholasaí an Rialtais don Oideachas lánGhaeilge an mhí seo caite.

“Agus Seachtain na Gaeilge buailte linn, tugaimid cuireadh duit na moltaí seo a leanas a scrúdú, do thuairim a roinnt, agus do thacaíocht a léiriú chun Éire a thógáil a dhéanfaidh ceiliúradh ar ár n-oidhreacht teanga agus cosaint ar chearta Gaeilgeoirí.”

Sinn Féin launch ambitious seven-point policy to promote Irish in public – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

As part of Seachtain na Gaeilge, Sinn Féin today launched an ambitious and comprehensive policy for normalising and encouraging use of Irish in the public sphere.

The policy document, “Ár Seacht nDícheall don Ghaeilge”, sets out 7 major policy changes for the 26 Counties with regard the status and use of Irish that a Sinn Féin Government would implement over the course of a first term in office.

Also outlined in the document are ways in which a Sinn Féin Government would make every effort to minimise costs for businesses and for the State, including through phasing in these changes over a number of years, in consultation with stakeholders, and by providing additional resources to assist in translation and preparation for the changes through Foras na Gaeilge and local Irish language business networks.

The seven efforts Sinn Féin propose are:

• To enshrine in law the right to use Irish – free from unjustified interference, intimidation, bullying, harassment or stigmatisation – in the workplace or in a social setting, based on the model already in place in Wales.
• To introduce bilingual packaging on products in shops, including on health warnings, based on the model in place in Canada.
• To require self-service machines (ATMs, ticket machines, self-service kiosks) to offer an Irish language option of equal quality to the English, with Irish as the default homepage, and to accept names with síntí fada.
• To enact new requirements for in-store information, including store signage, window displays, and menus, with a view to ensuring they are in Irish or at very least bilingual.
• To develop binding context-appropriate guidelines within a first term in government, in consultation with businesses, advertisers and the public, with a target of ensuring 50% of ad space in public places is used for ads in the Irish language.
• To use Irish placenames only for official purposes – including on newly-produced, newly-installed or updated road signs, public transport stations and stops, and official maps – with exemptions where local authorities seek permission from the Minister to include another language version (English, Ulster Scots, etc) where there is an exceptional touristic or heritage value to that version of the name. Any new placenames would also be in Irish only.
• To ensure that all future branding for state agencies is devised in Irish only.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture, said:

“Sinn Féin sees no limit to Ireland’s potential. Ireland should serve as a model for other bilingual states and minority language communities to follow, not a lagger behind, stuck in a post-colonial rut.

“By combining international best practice with a sense of national self-respect, we hope to give learners an opportunity to engage with the language in an everyday context outside the classroom, empower the large cohort of passive Irish speakers to become active, and realise the State’s constitutional commitment to our national language in line with President Douglas Hyde’s vision.

“Underpinning this new approach is a simple motto: Gaeilge más féidir, Béarla más gá (Irish wherever possible, English where necessary).

“These policies alone will not be enough to achieve our aim of restoring Irish use nationwide, but would instead form a core pillar of our efforts, alongside Sinn Féin’s Gaeltacht Housing & Planning Policy launched last year, and a comprehensive policy on Irish in Education, the basis of which we set out last month in our submission on the Government’s Policy on Irish-Medium Education.

“This Seachtain na Gaeilge, we invite you to examine the following proposals, give feedback, and share your support for building an Ireland that celebrates our linguistic heritage and protects the language rights of Irish speakers.”