The Irish-language community have held a Stormont demonstration to call for the implementation of the Irish-language Act.
As the latest round of talks aimed at restoring the power-sharing institutions conclude, the Irish-language community once again took to the streets today (27/3/2017) to call on all parties to the talks to fulfil the long overdue implementation of an Irish-language Act.
Local language groups, families and local Irish-language students gathered outside Stormont as part of a public demonstration and were greeted by MLA’s and party representatives supporting the campaign.
The event, organised by Irish-language movement, An Dream Dearg, an open and inclusive campaign for all, came to Stormont on the final day of the current negotiation period to reiterate the call for respect, recognition and rights for the Irish-language community through the provision of rights-based legislation in the form of an Irish-language Act.
Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, spokesperson for An Dream Dearg said: “The Irish-language Act has been clearly identified as one the key unresolved issues emerging from these negotiations.
“This is despite the fact that we now have a clear majority of elected MLAs supporting our demand for Irish-language rights-based legislations, as 50 out of 90 MLAs publically support our campaign.
“We would ask all of those MLAs, and the Irish government, who also have a key duty as co-guarantors of recent agreements, to ensure that no deal is concluded without the necessary agreement being reached around the Irish-language Act. Despite continued unionist opposition and abdication of responsibility by the British Government, our rights cannot be held hostage to ‘political consensus’.
Katie McGreal, also speaking for An Dream Dearg said: “The Irish-language community, through An Dream Dearg, has once again taken to the streets to call for our rights. Today’s demonstration follows a series of public protests across the north, from Newry to Derry, but this time we have had to take our fight to the seat of local power.
“While the elected representatives meet to discuss an agreement that would restore power-sharing, we are calling on those who have supported our campaign not to enter into any future government without the rights of Irish-language being agreed.”
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Pobal na Gaeilge i mbun léirsithe ag Cnoc an Anfa ar lorg chur i bhfeidhm Acht Gaeilge faoi dheireadh thiar thall
Agus deireadh tagtha leis an tréimhse is déanaí de chomhchainteanna comhroinnte cumhachta ó thuaidh, chuaigh pobal na Gaeilge chun sráide arís eile inniu (27/3/2017) chun éileamh ar na páirtithe cur i bhfeidhm Acht Gaeilge a chomhlíonadh faoi dheireadh thiar thall. Bhailigh grúpaí Gaeilge, teaghlaigh agus daltaí Gaeilge ó scoileanna áitiúla le chéile taobh amuigh de Chnoc an Anfa, áit ar bhuail siad le hionadaithe tofa agus CTR nua-thofa atá ag tacú leis an fheachtas.
Is iad An Dream Dearg a d’eagraigh feachtas na lae inniu, mar ghréasán oscailte feachtasaíochta do phobal na Gaeilge, ar lá deiridh na gcomhchainteanna leis an éileamh ar son Acht Gaeilge a chur chun tosaigh arís eile, bunaithe ar reachtaíocht cheart-bhunaithe.
Dúirt Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, urlabhra do An Dream Dearg:
Tá an tAcht Gaeilge luaite go soiléir mar cheann de na míreanna sna comhchainteanna seo nach bhfuil réiteach air go fóill. Tá seo amhlaidh in ainneoin tromlach soiléir de CRT nua-thofa atá anois ag tacú lenár n-éileamh ar son reachtaíochta cheart-bhunaithe Gaeilge, agus 50 as an 90 CTR nua-thofa ag teacht leis an bhun-éileamh reachtaíochta seo go poiblí.
Iarrann muid ar na hionadaithe nua-thofa sin ar fad, mar aon le Rialtas na hÉireann, a bhfuil dualgas lárnach orthu mar chomh-shínitheoirí ar na comhaontaithe inar gealladh Acht Gaeilge, beart de réir briathar a dhéanamh agus le cinntiú nach ndéanfar aon socrú nach gcinntíonn cearta Gaeilge tríd Acht Gaeilge.
In ainneoin freasúra ó na páirtithe aontachtacha agus éirí as á ndualgas ag Rialtas na Breataine, níor cheart go mbeadh ár gcearta faoi chúram ‘chomhréiteach polaitiúil’.
Dúirt Katie McGreal, urlabhra do An Dream Dearg: “Tá pobal na Gaeilge, tríd An Dream Dearg, ar na sráideanna arís chun ár gcearta á éileamh. Leanann léirsiú an lae inniu sraith d’agóidí poiblí ó thuaidh, ó Iúr Cinn Trá go Doire, ach an uair seo níor mhór dúinn an troid a thabhairt go Cnoc an Anfa.
“Agus deireadh tagtha le comhchainteanna leis an fheidhmeannas a chur ar obair arís, éilíonn muid orthu siúd atá ag tacú lenár bhfeachtas gan dul isteach in aon chomhrialtas nua gan chearta Gaeilge bheith réitithe faoi dheireadh thiar thall.”
