Language activists picket BBC over anti-Irish bias

THE ANGER felt throughout the Irish-language community over BBC presenters’ dismissive attitudes to a young Gaelgeoir during two televised Assembly election debates was evident during a protest at the station in Belfast on Monday.

Dozens of Irish-language activists – including politicians, solicitors, teachers and community workers accusing the BBC of discrimination against the language – staged a protest at BBC headquarters on Ormeau Avenue to express their disgust.

Centrestage at the protest was Coláiste Feirste pupil Cónall Ó Corra, who was dismissed by BBC presenters on two pre-election discussion programmes when he raised questions about funding and the attitude of party representatives to the language.

Speaking at the protest before handing in a letter of complaint, Cónall said:

“The problems I encountered when trying to ask questions about the language on BBC programmes is indicative of a wider problem in terms of the BBC and the language.”

Speaking to An Phoblacht, newly-elected Sinn Féin Seanadóir Niall Ó Donnghaile, one of a number of party representatives present, demanded that the BBC afford respect to Gaeilgeoirí and the Irish language community as licence payers.

“It seems the only time the Irish language gets air-time is in response to some drivel coming from Nelson McCausland or Gregory Campbell,” Ó Donnghaile said, referring to two senior DUP politicians and opponents of Irish.

Meanwhile, Conchúr Ó Muadaigh, from the language pressure group Tionól Dearg, accused the BBC “as a public service” of consistently failing to meet the needs of the ever-expanding Irish language community.

“The Irish-language content produced by the BBC is of an extremely high standard and has been well-received here, based on figures made available by OFCOM. However, when compared to provision in Scotland and Wales the service the Irish-language community is provided with is lacking. This is an unequivocal failure to its commitment to ‘represent all its regions and communities’.”

Ó Muadaigh pointed out that BBC Radio Cymru in Wales broadcasts for up to 19 hours a day and has an annual budget of £12.8million while Radio na nGàidheal in Scotland, which broadcasts for 90 hours a week, has a budget of £3.7million.

The BBC in the North of Ireland, on the other hand, has no dedicated Irish-language service and has just five to seven hours per week of Irish-language programming.

Concluding, Ó Muadaigh said the funding for Irish-language programming on BBC Radio Ulster is difficult to identify accurately as it is rolled into the overall cost of that station.