Gaeltacht ministerial row provokes Dáil uproar

Taoiseach Enda Kenny provoked uproar in the Dáil when he insisted that appointing two ministers to the Gaeltacht Department who did not speak Irish would inspire other people to learn the language.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams branded the decision to promote Heather Humphreys to Cabinet rank in the portfolio, and make Donegal TD Joe McHugh her junior — despite neither of them having much grasp of Irish — as a “backwards” step.

Mr Adams said the situation was made even more bizarre by the fact that the other junior minister in the portfolio did speak fluent Irish, but was not responsible for any Gaeltacht issues.

“The appointment of the two ministers is a backwards step, because they do not speak Irish. The manner in which the department has been organised is a further mark of the downgrading of the Irish language.

“It is evidence of the disregard that the Government has for the Irish language,” Mr Adams said.

The Taoiseach hit back, saying the ministers would learn the language, and so encourage others to do so.

Mr Kenny also accused the Sinn Féin leader of “insulting” the ministers.

“What you have just said is typical of the reasons why we are not as bilingual as we should be,” Mr Kenny told the Sinn Féin leader. “The deputy is suggesting that neither minister is capable of learning our native tongue, or relearning it as the case may be. I think that is an insult.” Referring to Mr McHugh, the Taoiseach said: “He has the Irish inside of him, but it is rusty. Isn’t it a good thing to say ‘I am as Irish as anyone else, and I am going to learn the language’?”

Ms Humphreys said she learned Irish to Leaving Cert standard but that “she lost it” due to lack of use.

Mr McHugh in the Dáil said he could understand Irish, but needed to gain more confidence in speaking it.