http___www.pobal.org_gaeilge_news_maurice-hayes-an-fath-go-dtacaim-le-moltai-pobal-dacht-na-gaeilge__1.xml
1.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4
Maurice Hayes, MRIA Maurice Hayes was for many years Northern Ireland Ombudsman, and has played a prominent part in public life there and in the South. His public roles include Town Clerk of Downpatrick, and Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland); he has also served as Chair of the Community Relations Council and served on the Patten Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland. From 1997 to 2007 he sat as a Senator in Dáil Éireann. “These proposals from POBAL seem to me a valuable contribution to the wider debate because they recognise both these principles and because they are founded in international best practice, and because they are reasonably put and recognise the need for a sense of proportion and the limits of practicality in many situations. The document recognises too the need to secure the support of people who are not Irish speakers, and of state and public authorities. I welcome the reasonable way the proposals are made and the thought and research that have gone into them, the recognition of the problems they might cause for other people and the provision of a mechanism to deal with these. “The issue is dealt with in the language and context of rights and obligations that the United Kingdom has accepted through international treaties and Charters. These are the individual rights guaranteed by the European Convention (now part of domestic law) and the legal obligations to protect minority languages under the European Charter. “Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom (apart from England itself) which does not have the benefit of a specific language act – the Welsh language has had protection since 1993 and Scots Gaelic in 2005. More widely there are the examples of Canada, Finland, Spain and Switzerland. For this reason it makes sense to argue for legislation at Westminster rather than in the Assembly. The Northern Ireland Act provides a sort of Constitution, and that is where constitutional protection for language rights should be entrenched.”
1.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4
Maurice Hayes, CARÉ Bhí Maurice Hayes le blianta fada ina Ombudsman i dTuaisceart na hÉireann, agus bhí lámh ar leith aige sa tsaol phoiblí ansin agus sa Deisceart. Bhí sé ina Chléireach Baile i nDún Pádraig agus ina Rúnaí Buan sa Roinn Sláinte, Seirbhísí Sóisialta agus Sábháilteachta Poiblí (TÉ) agus chaith sé tamall ina Chathaoirleach ar an Chomhairle um Chaidreamh Pobail agus ar Choimisiún Patten ar an Phóilíneacht i dTuaisceart na hÉireann. Ó 1997 go 2007 bhí sé ina Sheanadóir i Seanad Éireann. “Is léir domsa go gcuireann moltaí seo POBAL go mór leis an díospóireacht sa mhéid is bhfuil siad bunaithe ar an deachleachtas is fearr idirnáisiúnta, agus toisc go bhfuil siad réasúnta agus go n-aithníonn siad an gá atá leis an chothromaíocht agus lena bheith ag lorg réiteach praiticiúil i gcásanna áirithe. Is léir freisin go n-aithnítear go bhfuil sé riachtanach tacaíocht a fháil ón ghnáthphobal nach Gaeilgeoirí iad, ón stát is ó na húdaráis phoiblí. Is breá liom an tslí réasúnta ina gcuirtear na moltaí, an machnamh is an taighde a rinneadh, go n-aithnítear go bhféadfadh na moltaí seo deacrachtaí a chruthú do dhaoine eile agus an dóigh a soláthraítear meicníocht chun déileáil lena leithéid. “Cuirtear na moltaí i dteanga is i gcomhthéacs na gceart is na ndualgas ar ghlac an Ríocht Aontaithe leo faoi chonarthaí is Cairteanna éagsúla idirnáisiúnta. Ina measc siúd atá cosaint chearta an duine faoin Choinbhinsiún Eorpach (atá anois fáiscthe sa chóras dlí intíre) is na dualgais dhlíthiúla na mionteangacha a chosaint is a chaomhnú faoin Chairt Eorpach. “Is é Tuaisceart na hÉireann an t-aon limistéar réigiúnach den Ríocht Aontaithe (taobh amuigh de Shasana féin) nach bhfuil an chosaint seo le fáil ann i bhfoirm acht sonrach teanga – ritheadh a leithéid don Bhreatnais i 1993 is do Ghàidhlig na hAlban i 2005. Ar an choigríoch, tá eiseamláir Cheanada, na Fionlainne, na Spáinne is na hEilvéise ann, a chuireann bunsraith faoi na moltaí atá leagtha amach anseo. Dá bhrí sin, tá sé le ciall a mholadh gur chóir an tAcht a rith i bParlaimint Westminster seachas an Tionól. Ba in Westminster a ritheadh Acht Thuaisceart Éireann mar shaghas bunreachta don Tuaisceart, agus sin an áit inar chóir cosaint na gceart seo a dhaingniú is dualgais an stáit a chur i bhfeidhm.”