Gross insult to dedicated servant

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan was not the only commisioner to appear before an Oireachtas Committee last Thursday.

The other commissioner appearing that day (Irish Examiner, Jan 24) was the outgoing Irish language Ombudsman Seán Ó Cuirreáin, who last month had announced his early departure from his post due to lack of Government support for his efforts to improve the provision of State services in Irish to the public. Mr Ó Cuirreáin had been invited before this Oireachtas sub-committee to give his assessment on the Government’s 20-year strategy for the Irish language.

The commissioner’s comments on the present sorry state of that strategy made for sad reading. But it was even sadder to note the absence from the hearing of any representative from either of the Government parties.