20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 – 2030
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20-YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE IRISH LANGUAGE 2010 – 2030 Government of Ireland 20-YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE IRISH LANGUAGE 2010 – 2030 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. The Vision ............................................................................................................................................................................................3 2. Policy Context .................................................................................................................................................................................4 3. A Phased Strategy ......................................................................................................................................................................8 4. Specific Objectives......................................................................................................................................................................9 5. Implementation Structures............................................................................................................................................10 6. Areas for action:........................................................................................................................................................................11 6.1 Education...............................................................................................................................................................................11 6.2 The Gaeltacht....................................................................................................................................................................19 6.3 Family Transmission of the Language – Early Intervention.............................................21 6.4 Administration, Services and Community..........................................................................................23 6.5 Media and Technology ...........................................................................................................................................26 6.6 Dictionaries..........................................................................................................................................................................28 6.7 Legislation and Status..............................................................................................................................................29 6.8 Economic Life....................................................................................................................................................................29 6.9 Cross-cutting Initiatives..........................................................................................................................................30 2 20-YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE IRISH LANGUAGE 2010 – 2030 1. THE VISION Despite centuries of language shift from Irish to The Government recognises the tremendous English, the Irish language continues to survive advantage to its citizens of fluency in English, as a living community language in some the most widely used language in international traditional Gaeltacht heartlands and it is also in affairs. The Government commits to ensuring use on a daily basis by many people outside the that this advantage is retained through the Gaeltacht. development of a bilingual society, where as many people as possible can use Irish and The last hundred years has also seen a flowering English with equal ease and facility. However, of literature and other art forms through the the Government also recognises that the focus medium of Irish, such that Irish is now a fully- of policy in the Gaeltacht needs to be on fledged modern European language. maintaining the linguistic identity of the community in the Gaeltacht as a distinctive The objective of Government policy in relation language region, rather than one of to Irish is to increase on an incremental basis the bilingualism. use and knowledge of Irish as a community language. Specifically, the Government’s aim is While strengthening the position of the to ensure that as many citizens as possible are language within our education system is a key bilingual in both Irish and English. It is an focus of this Strategy, the transmission of Irish as integral component of the Government’s Irish a living language within the family and language policy that close attention be given to between the generations is critically important. its place in the Gaeltacht, particularly in light of Our overall approach is to create a supportive research which indicates that the language’s framework and the opportunities in which Irish viability as a household and community can be passed on in a natural way within language in the Gaeltacht is under threat. households and communities. This is of special importance in the context of the Gaeltacht. The aim of Government policy is also to: The future of the language depends on people • increase the number of families throughout who make a positive choice to embrace the the country who use Irish as the daily opportunities that this Strategy will create. This language of communication; is the challenge for all of us. • provide linguistic support for the Gaeltacht as an Irish-speaking community and to recognise the issues which arise in areas where Irish is the household and community language; • ensure that in public discourse and in public services the use of Irish or English will be, as far as practical, a choice for the citizen to make and that over time more and more people throughout the State will choose to do their business in Irish; and • ensure that Irish becomes more visible in our society, both as a spoken language by our citizens and also in areas such as signage and literature. Irish is part of the culture and heritage of Northern Ireland and the promotion and protection of the language there is also a priority for the Government. 3 20-YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE IRISH LANGUAGE 2010 – 2030 2. POLICY CONTEXT Article 8 of the Constitution of Ireland states Objective 6: A high standard of all-Irish that: education will be provided to school students whose parents/guardians so wish. “The Irish language as the national Gaelscoileanna will continue to be supported language is the first official language.” at primary level and all-Irish provision at post- primary level will be developed to meet This 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language is follow-on demand. built on the foundation of the Constitutional status of the language and follows on the Objective 7: Irish language pre-school Government Statement on the Irish Language1 education will continue to be supported and published in December 2006. That Statement third-level education through Irish will be affirmed the Government’s support for the further developed. development and preservation of the Irish language and the Gaeltacht and set out 13 Objective 8: The State will continue to policy objectives to that end: support Foras na Gaeilge in the context of the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999. Objective 1: The special status given to the Irish language in the Constitution and in Objective 9: High quality broadcast services legislation such as the Official Languages Act through the medium of Irish will be ensured, 2003, the Education Act 1998, the Planning especially through the continuous and Development Act 2000 and the development of RTÉ, Raidió na Gaeltachta Broadcasting Act 20012, will be upheld. and TG4. Objective 2: The Official Languages Act will Objective 10: Every assistance and support will be fully implemented. The right of the public be given to the European Union in to use Irish in dealings with the State and implementing the decision to make Irish a with other bodies will be developed and the working and official language in the EU from appropriate arrangements to deliver this will 1 January 2007. be put in place. Objective 11: In order to promote Irish Objective 3: The Irish language community nationally and to preserve and strengthen it inside and outside the Gaeltacht will be given in the Gaeltacht, the work being done by the encouragement and support to transmit Irish Department of Community, Equality and to the next generation as a living household Gaeltacht Affairs and by agencies and bodies language. Towards this end, a wide range of which come under its aegis will continue to services in Irish will be provided. be reinforced. Objective 4: The Gaeltacht will be given Objective 12: The use of the Irish language by special support as an Irish-speaking area. An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces will be continued and developed. Objective 5: Irish will be taught as an obligatory subject from primary to Leaving Objective 13: The Government recognises the Certificate level. The curriculum will foster vital role of the Irish language voluntary oral and written competence in Irish among sector and will continue to support it. students and an understanding of its value to us as a people. This will be supported by It is also an objective of Government to support enhanced investment in professional the promotion and teaching of Irish abroad, development and ongoing support for through the Department of Foreign Affairs and teachers, as well as in provision of textbooks the Department of Community, Equality and and resources, and support for innovative Gaeltacht Affairs. Particular emphasis has been approaches to teaching and learning. placed on supporting the teaching of Irish in third-level colleges in a range of different countries. 1. http://www.pobail.ie/en/IrishLanguage/StatementontheIrishLanguage2006/