Enda Kenny challenged by Mayo rival Ruane on protecting Irish language

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) held a one-hour Valentine's Day Silent Protest in opposition to Fine Gael's policy to make Irish an optional subject for the Leaving Certificate

ONE OF ENDA KENNY’s Mayo Sinn Féin election rivals, Councillor Thérèse Ruane, has called on Fine Gael to protect the Irish language.

Thérèse took part in a protest at Fine Gael HQ in Dublin at its plans to reduce the status of the Irish language for second-level students. She said:

In contrast to Fine Gael, Sinn Féin is committed to the protection and restoration of the Irish language.

Rather than taking measures that will contribute to the dissolution of Irish, we believe the State should in fact be taking constructive steps to strengthen, support, and encourage its growth.

Unlike Fine Gael’s proposal to de-prioritise Irish by removing it from the second-level education system as compulsory, we in Sinn Féin commit ourselves 100% to its promotion.

Our proposals will further protect the Irish language. One among many of those proposed is that there should be an Aire Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta in Cabinet with responsibility to deliver on the 20-year strategy and ensuring that the rights of Irish-language speakers are upheld.

Gaeltacht communities must be protected, supported, and developed.

We also believe the right to education through Irish should be constitutionally and legally enshrined as one of the primary steps in protecting its existence for generations to come.

Fine Gael’s proposals must be opposed at all costs. I am calling on Enda Kenny and Fine Gael to reverse these proposals and to ensure that Irish is protected in to the future.

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THÉRÈSE RUANE and ROSE CONWAY-WALSH (right) are the two Sinn Féin candidates for Mayo.