An Ghaeilge
Irish is a wonderfully rich, cultural gift. It’s an irreplaceable part of the diversity of the planet. It’s a unique infrastructure of thought and a magic door into an Aladdin’s Cave of cultural jewels riches stretching back hundreds of years. It’s been our voice for nearly two thousand years and yet we might well be the last generation to have Irish as a community language.
Irish is the language of family. Children are being raised with Irish as their first language right across the North. Irish is the language of friends and sport and craic. It is a language of business, of ICT and of education. Irish is the language of books, music, poetry and even dance. Irish is our national language. Its indigenous. It’s of here. Yet its banned in many places here.
There is an energy in the Irish Language Community in the North. Yet when Irish speakers seek to engage with the state, the state says no Irish Speakers welcome. Irish is discriminated against by State organisations. Irish Speakers do not have equal rights in their own language. In this regard the north is an outlier in every other state on these islands.
Aontú simply seeks equality for Irish Speakers. Irish Speakers should be able to live their lives in their own language. We should be able to go to school and engage with the state in our own language.
To achieve this Aontú will work with Conradh na Gaeilge and all other Irish Language organisations to achieve the following objectives.
- The immediate implementation of the Irish Language Legislation agreed in the NDNA by the British Governments. The Irish Government are standing idly by in their responsibility to see this legislation implemented.
- The adoption of the 20 Year Irish Language Strategy.
- The Development of an Irish Language Education Bill
- To strengthen Irish as a GSCE subject.
Is bua iontach saibhir, cultúrtha í an Ghaeilge. Is cuid thar a bheith luachmhar í d’éagsúlacht an phláinéid. Is stórás uathúil machnaimh agus doras draíochta í isteach in Uaimh Aladdin de shaibhreas agus de sheoda cultúrtha a shíneann siar na céadta bliain. Tá sí mar ghuth againn le beagnach dhá mhíle bliain ach mar sin féin b’fhéidir gur sinne an ghlúin dheireanach a mbeidh an Ghaeilge mar theanga phobail againn.
Is í an Ghaeilge teanga an teaghlaigh. Tá páistí á dtógáil le Gaeilge mar phríomhtheanga acu ar fud Thuaisceart Éireann. Is í an Ghaeilge teanga cairde, spóirt agus spraoi. Is teanga ghnó, TFC agus oideachais í. Is í an Ghaeilge teanga na leabhar, an cheoil, na filíochta agus an damhsa go fiú. Is í an Ghaeilge ár dteanga náisiúnta. Is dár ndúchas í. Is cuid dár n-oidhreacht í. Go fóill féin, áfach, tá cosc uirthi in go leor áiteanna abhus.
Tá fuinneamh i bpobal na Gaeilge i dTuaisceart Éireann. Ach nuair a bhíonn Gaeilgeoirí ag iarraidh dul i dteagmháil leis an stát, deir an stát nach bhfuil fáilte roimh chainteoirí Gaeilge. Déanann eagraíochtaí Stáit leithcheal ar an nGaeilge. Níl cearta comhionanna ag cainteoirí Gaeilge ina dteanga féin. Ina leith seo, tá Tuaisceart Éireann scoite amach ó gach stát eile ar na hoileáin seo.
Ní theastaíonn ó Aontú ach comhionannas a lorg do chainteoirí Gaeilge. Ba cheart go mbeadh cainteoirí Gaeilge in ann a saol a chaitheamh ina dteanga féin. Ba cheart go mbeimis in ann dul ar scoil agus dul i ngleic leis an stát inár dteanga féin.
Chun é seo a bhaint amach oibreoidh Aontú le Conradh na Gaeilge agus le gach eagraíocht Ghaeilge eile chun na cuspóirí seo a leanas a bhaint amach.
- Reachtaíocht Ghaeilge a chomhaontaigh Rialtas na Breataine san NDNA a chur chun feidhme. Tá neamart glan á dhéanamh ag Rialtas na hÉireann ina ndualgas lena chinntiú go gcuirfear an reachtaíocht seo chun feidhme.
- An Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge a Ghlacadh.
- Bille um Oideachas lán-Ghaeilge a Fhorbairt
- An Ghaeilge a neartú mar ábhar GSCR.
