Bodies attacked for Irish-language breaches

The Department of Education was among a list of State bodies which breached laws aimed at providing services in the Irish language, it was revealed today.

Two county councils and the Department of Foreign Affairs were also criticised by An Coimisineir Teanga, the language commissioner, who recorded a total of 687 complaints by the public in 2009.

An Coimisineir, Sean O Cuirreain, said while many public bodies had made progress in the quantity and quality of services provided through Irish, there were still significant gaps in comparison to services in English.

“In general, the position of the Irish language on a national level is probably more secure now than at any stage in recent times,” he said.

“However, the future of Irish as a living community language, even in the strongest Gaeltacht areas, is currently at its most vulnerable level – at crisis point according to some analysts – particularly among the younger generation.”

Mr O Cuirreain revealed a 15% rise in complaints last year over difficulties accessing state services in Irish under the Official Languages Act.

While the majority were dealt with through advice or negotiations, 17 formal investigations took place last year, with two carried over from 2008.

Some 16 were completed, two were discontinued and one probe is ongoing.

The office of An Coimisineir Teanga found:

:: The Health Service Executive breached statutory language obligations three times, including distributing information about swine flu and mumps in English only.

:: The Department of Education failed to implement a number of commitments in its language scheme and replied to an Irish letter in English.

:: The Department of Foreign Affairs did not publish a key document on the Lisbon Treaty in Irish the same time the English version was printed.

:: Emily O’Reilly’s Office of the Information Commissioner was criticised for failing to publish decisions “simultaneously and bilingually” on its website.

:: Two local authorities, Galway County Council and Fingal County Council, were found to have failed to comply with the law. One centred on a complaint about a council official in Spiddal without sufficient fluency in Irish – and a response to a letter of complaint coming back in English.

:: The Arts Council, the National Museum of Ireland, the Office of the Information Commissioner and Iarnrod Eireann were also found to have failed to comply with statutory language obligations.

Mr O Cuirreain said while many will continue to speak Irish, a critical mass is required for its survival as a community language.

“Language preference is not a random issue for Gaeltacht parents and their choice is always in the best interests of their children,” he continued.

“Every time state officials require Irish speakers to opt for English, it reinforces the negative message.

“Gaeltacht community organisations must be empowered to have the voice of the Gaeltacht heard and not silenced.”

Mr O Cuirreain said a proposed 20-year strategy for the language must be robust enough to deal conclusively with securing the future of Irish as a living community language in the Gaeltacht.

“When the strategy is agreed, it is essential that its full implementation is commenced efficiently and speedily.

“If this were not to happen, as has been the fate of many well-intentioned reports in the past, it would be better that it be abandoned now to avoid more cynicism,” added Mr O Cuirreain.

“Action, not lip service, is what is required.”