http___www.pobal.org_gaeilge_news_caithfear-acht-laidir-gaeilge-a-bhaint-amach-roimh-dheireadh-na-gcainteanna__1.xml
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POBAL, the independent advocacy organisation for the Irish language has urged those political parties that say they support Irish language legislation to ensure that in the final stages of the Stormont talks what emerges is a comprehensive Act based on the expert proposals POBAL has published. POBAL’s Director, Janet Muller said, ‘There is great pressure on the parties now to come to some form of agreement and given the opposition of some to meaningful legislation there are dangers in this current phase of talks. We have been very clear in the eleven years since the British government gave its commitment to introduce the Irish language Act that weak legislation would just increase frustration. We urge the political parties to stand firm in their support for rights-based legislation which can and will create a wide range of guaranteed rights in education, the political institutions, local authorities, administration of justice and media. The work of drafting inclusive proposals with the advice of the world’s foremost experts in language law has already been done by POBAL. Politicians who wish to see the Irish language properly protected and promoted should ensure that these are the proposals on which any legislation is based.’ POBAL has previously expressed concern that during the current rounds of talks in recent months, some parties and some Irish language groups have published very low projected costs of a couple of million pounds for the act. Janet Muller said, ‘The Act must be adequately resourced from Westminster or it will have no teeth. Public monies made available through other schemes or strategies could be subject to the kind of politicking we know all too well if they are not underpinned by actual rights in the act. POBAL is in favour of getting best value for public money, but a couple of million pounds to implement important legislation is a rather ridiculous claim when you remember that in the past, the public purse has subsidised the Stormont canteen alone to the tune of over a quarter of a million a year, and the average bill for tea and biscuits at Stormont Executive meetings has been calculated at £32,000 per year. Irish language projects have survived on a shoe string for decades. Politicians here as well as Teresa May and Leo Varadker have the chance to ensure that the Irish language Act marks a new approach, not the same old, same old tokenism.’
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Dúirt POBAL go gcaithfear acht Gaeilge cuimsitheach, bunaithe ar shainmholtaí POBAL a chinntiú i laethanta deireanacha na gcainteanna. Ghríosaigh an eagras neamhspleách abhcóideachta na páirtithe polaitiúla a deir go bhfuil siad ar son reachtaíocht don teanga leis an fhód a sheasamh. Dúirt Janet Muller, ‘Tá brú millteanach anois ar na páirtithe comhaontú de chineál éigin a bhaint amach, agus tá contúirtí ann faoi láthair mar gheall ar naimhdeas roinnt polaiteoirí roimh reachtaíocht éifeachtach. Le bliain déag anuas, ó thug rialtas na Breataine a ghealltanas acht Gaeilge a thabhairt isteach, tá sé soiléir dúinn nach gcuirfeadh acht lag ach le frustrachas. Gríosaíonn muid na páirtithe polaitiúla le seasamh docht daingean a ghlacadh ar son reachtaíocht ceart-bunaithe, reachtaíocht a chruthódh remise leathan de chearta ráthaithe sna forais pholaitiúla, sna húdaráis áitiúla, i riar na córa, sna seirbhísí poiblí agus i réimsí na fostaíochta, an oideachais agus na meán cumarsáide. Tá an obair chrua dhréachtú reachtaíochta déanta ag POBAL ceanna féin le cuidiú ó roinnt do na saineolaithe is mó i ndlíthe agus teanga. Is ar na moltaí POBAL gur cheart do na polaiteoirí díriú.’ Ar na mallaibh, léirigh POBAL imní go raibh figiúirí iontach íseal maidir le costais an achta foilsithe ag roinnt páirtithe agus eagrais Gaeilge. Dúirt Janet Muller, ‘Thagair roinnt do chúpla mhilliúin punt. Tá POBAL ar son luach ar airgead poiblí, gan dabht, ach caithfidh Westminster an tAcht a achmhainniú mar is ceart, nó ní bheidh maitheas ar bith ann. Dá gcuirfeadh airgead poiblí ar fáil trí scéimeanna eile nó trí straitéisí eile, tá gach seans go leanfadh an polaitíochtú ceanna ar aghaidh is a chonaic muid go minic roimhe mura raibh cearta ráthaithe leagtha amach go sonrach san acht. Ráiteas áiféiseach atá ann, ag cur in iúl nach mbeadh ach cúpla mhilliúin de dhíth le reachtaíocht teanga éifeachtach a cur i bhfeidhm. Níl sé chomh fada ó shin gur fuarthas amach gur chaith an Tionól thar ceathrú mhilliún punt le fóirdheontas a thabhairt do bheiltí na bhfeisirí ag Stormont, agus ar na meáin gur chaitheadh £32,000 sa bhliain ar thae agus bríosaí milís le linn cruinnithe an Fheidhmeannais. Le bliantaí fada, tá tograí Gaeilge beo ar an leathphingin. Tá deis anois ag polaiteoirí abhus, chomh maith le Teresa May agus Leo Varadkar, difear a dhéanamh, agus a chinntiú go spreagann acht Gaeilge cur chuige nua, agus deireadh leis an cur chuige, ‘an sop in áit na scuaibe’ atá feicthe againn chomh minic sin roimhe.’