‘Standing Together for a Stand-Alone Irish Language Act’.
Five Parties come together to support the community call for an Irish Language Act with a ‘Historic majority’ of MLA’s (50/90) now supporting the campaign.
Paula Bradshaw MLA (Alliance), Steven Agnew MLA (Green Party), Gerry Carroll MLA (PBP), Nicola Mallon MLA (SDLP), Gerry Adams TD (Sinn Féin), joint President of Conradh na Gaeilge Dr Niall Comer for a joint photoshoot in support of a stand-alone Irish-language Act in The MAC, Belfast.
For the first time elected representatives from the five parties have come together with Conradh na Gaeilge to display their support for stand-alone legislation in the form of an Irish-Language Act.
Dr Niall Comer, President, Conradh na Gaeilge, said: “The message from today’s event is very clear: there is widespread, cross-party, majority support for a stand-alone Irish Language Act.
“Conradh na Gaeilge has been consistently meeting with all parties, five of which now support the community call for a stand-alone Irish-language Act (Alliance, Green Party, PBP, SDLP, Sinn Féin); that support translates into 50/90 MLAs and an historic majority support within the Assembly for the first time.
Representatives from five parties come together to support the community call for an Irish Language Act. From left, Nicola Mallon MLA (SDLP), Steven Agnew MLA (Green Party), Gerry Carroll MLA (PBP), Paula Bradshaw MLA (Alliance), Gerry Adams TD (Sinn Féin), joint President of Conradh na Gaeilge Dr Niall Comer and Ciaran Mac Giolla Bhein in The MAC in Belfast.
“Given this majority, we now call on those who continue to oppose a stand-alone Irish-language Act to reflect on their position and to acknowledge that the time for change is now.
“Conradh na Gaeilge would like to thank the parties for their support to date but calls on them to continue to stand together for and with the community as the Stormont talks recommence.
Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, Advocacy Manager for Conradh na Gaeilge, said: “Over 20,000 people have filled the streets of Belfast, Newry and Derry to date this year calling for an Irish-language Act.
“The support of these 5 parties reflects what is being seen on the streets as a result of the phenomenal grassroots campaign from the Irish Language community. During the most recent of 3 public consultations on the Irish-language Act in 2015, 94.7% of over 13,000 responses supported legislative provision for Irish.”
“This local support, from both the public and political representatives, alongside the support of the Irish Government, that of the Council of Europe and the United Nations, as supported by the NI Human Rights Commission, once again highlights the widespread global support for legislative protection for the Irish-language.”
“The Irish Language Community have been waiting too long for the promises made to us at St Andrews to be fulfilled – today we stand together for real change. Acht Anois.”
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Conradh na Gaeilge is the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community. The Conradh has over 200 branches and numerous individual members registered around the world, members that work hard to promote the use of Irish in their own areas.
Conradh na Gaeilge’s main aim is to promote the use of Irish as the standard language in Ireland. Conradh na Gaeilge was established by Douglas Hyde, Eoin Mac Néill, and their colleagues on the 31st of July 1893.
The organisation runs Irish-language courses; advocates for the language rights of Irish-speakers; raises awareness about the language; hosts the international Irish-language festival Seachtain na Gaeilge; manages the Irish-language information hub PEIG.ie and the Irish-language bookshop An Siopa Leabhar; supports Raidió Rí-Rá; and much more. More information: www.cnag.ie
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‘Ag Seasamh Le Chéile d’Acht Gaeilge Neamhspleách’
5 Pháirtí ag seasamh taobh le taobh chun tacú le héileamh an phobail d’Acht Gaeilge neamhspleách agus ‘tromlach stairiúil’ CTR (50/90) anois ag tacú leis an fheachtas
I láthair ag an ócáid ghrianghraif ag Conradh na Gaeilge i mBéal Feirste inniu tá Paula Bradshaw MLA (Alliance), Steven Agnew MLA (Green Party), Gerry Carroll MLA (PBP), Nicola Mallon MLA (SDLP), Gerry Adams TD (Sinn Féin) mar aon le hUachtarán an Chonartha Dr Niall Comer, agus iad ar fad ag seasamh le chéile d’Acht Gaeilge neamhspleách.
Don chéad uair tá ionadaithe tofa ó 5 pháirtí ag teacht le chéile le Conradh na Gaeilge chun a dtacaíocht ar son Acht Gaeilge neamhspleách a léiriú.
Dúirt Dr Niall Comer, Uachtarán, Conradh na Gaeilge: “Tá teachtaireacht an lae inniu iontach soiléir: tá tacaíocht leathan, traspháirtí, tromlaigh ann d’Acht Gaeilge neamhspleách.
Bhí cruinnithe leanúnacha ag Conradh na Gaeilge leis na páirtithe go dtí seo, agus tá cúig pháirtí (Alliance, Green Party, PBP, SDLP, Sinn Féin) ag seasamh linn inniu chun tacaíocht a léiriú d’Acht Gaeilge neamhspleách; is ionann an tacaíocht sin agus 50/90 CTR sa Tionól, tromlach stairiúil don chéad uair riamh. Chuige sin, éilíonn Conradh na Gaeilge ar na páirtithe siúd atá go fóill ag cur in éadan Acht Gaeilge neamhspleách machnamh a dhéanamh athuair ar an seasamh atá acu ar an cheist agus an deis seo chun athruithe a bhaint amach a aithint.
“Ba mhian le Conradh na Gaeilge buíochas a ghabháil le gach páirtí atá ag seasamh le chéile agus linn inniu ar mhaithe lena dtacaíocht go dtí seo ach éilíonn orthu an fód a sheasamh le chéile amach anseo, leis an phobal agus ar son an phobail, agus na cainteanna réidh le toiseach go luath.”
Dúirt Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, Bainisteoir Abhcóideachta, Conradh na Gaeilge: “Tháinig breis agus 20,000 duine chun sráide idir Béal Feirste, Iúr Cinn Trá agus Doire ó bhí an Nollaig ann i mbliana chun Acht Gaeilge a éileamh.
“Is í tacaíocht na bpáirtithe seo inniu toradh an fheachtais seo, feachtas iontach, pobal-bhunaithe atá ag teacht díreach ó na sráideanna sin agus ón phobal féin. Le linn an chomhairliúcháin is déanaí ar cheist seo an Achta a rinneadh in 2015, bhí 94.7% de bhreis agus 13,000 freagra ag tacú le hAcht Gaeilge.
“Léiríonn an tacaíocht áitiúil seo, ón phobal agus ó na páirtithe araon, taobh le tacaíocht Rialtas na hÉireann, tacaíocht Chomhairle na hEorpa agus na Náisiún Aontaithe, mar aon leis an Choimisiún um Chearta an Duine TÉ, léiríonn an tacaíocht sin ar fad an t-éileamh leathan domhanda do reachtaíocht cosanta don Ghaeilge.
“Tá pobal na Gaeilge ag fanacht ró-fhada le comhlíonadh an ghealltanais a tugadh dúinn ag Cill Rímhinn – inniu seasann muid le chéile ar d’athrú ceart. Acht Anois.”
