Ár Seacht nDícheall don Ghaeilge

Aengus Ó Snodaigh sets out ambitious seven point policy for promoting Irish in the public sphere

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Tá tábhacht ag baint leis an uimhir seacht i measc na nGael le cuimhne na seacht sinsear. Ár n-aidiacht treisithe par excellence atá ann. Má tá do dhóthain agat, sin rud amháin, ach má tá do sheacht ndóthain agat, sin scéal eile! Tá an bás sách dona, ach má tá pian uafásach ar fad agat, tugtar “seacht mbás” ar sin. Ó thug Fionn Mac Cumhaill faoi cheannaireacht seacht gcatha na Féinne fadó, tá seacht ag tabhairt brí as gnách do mórimeachtaí miostasacha na staire dúinn, más Seachtar Laoch a Cásca atá i gceist agus glúin 1916 ag triáil deireadh a chur le 700 bliain den riail gallda, nó fiú sa chliú agus sa cháil bainte amach ag Éire sa ré seo agus seacht mbua gan sárú bainte amach aici i gComórtas na hEoraifíse. 

Má dhéanann tú iarracht mhaith, is do dhícheall atá i gceist, ach má dhéanann tú gach iarracht atá i do chumas, do sheacht ndícheall atá ann.

Ní haon ionadh é mar sin nuair a d’fhógair urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, tiomantas an pháirtí a lándhícheall a dhéanamh don teanga náisiúnta dá dtabharfar deis dóibh sa rialtas, gur b’shin atá mar theideal ar an bpolasaí nua a leagann amach seacht príomhghnéithe le feabhsú: seoladh “Ár Seacht nDícheall don Ghaeilge” mar chuid de Sheachtain na Gaeilge, agus normalú agus spreagadh úsáid na Gaeilge i mbéal an phobail mar aidhm aige.

Ag labhairt ag seoladh i dTeach Laighean os comhair seomra lán le tacaitheoirí an pháirtí, gníomhairí teanga agus lucht na meán, mhínigh an Teachta Ó Snodaigh go gcuirfeadh Sinn Féin dea-chleachtais idirnáisiúnta ó thíortha dátheangacha ar nós an Bhreatain Bheag agus Ceanada i bhfeidhm chun timpeallacht a thógáil a thacódh le foghlaimeoirí dul i dtaithí leis an nGaeilge i gcomhthéacsanna praiticiúla lasmuigh den seomra ranga agus a chumhachtódh cainteoirí éigníomhacha (38% den daonra ó dheas) bheith gníomhach ag úsáid Gaeilge mar chuid den ghnáthshaol laethúil.

Céim a 1 ná an ceart a aithint sa dlí don chéad uair Gaeilge a labhairt, ag tabhairt cosaint do oibritheoirí agus baill den phobail i gcoitinne ó aon duine cur isteach orthu Gaeilge a labhairt.

I gcás Céimeanna a 2, 3, 4 agus 5, séard atá i gceist ná feiceálacht na Gaeilge sa saol tráchtála a chur chun cinn, go sonrach trí phacáistiú dhátheangach a chur ar tháirgí agus le heolas sa siopa. Chun úsáid na Gaeilge a spreagadh, ní hamháin go mbeadh dualgas ar UMBanna nó meaisín ticéad rogha Gaeilge a bheith orthu, ach ba chóir go mbeadh an Ghaeilge mar theanga uathoibreach baile an mheaisín, ionas go mbeadh Gaeilge ‘opt-out’ seachas ‘opt-in’. Bheadh súil ann go mbeadh ar a laghad 50% de spás fógraíochta in áiteanna poiblí á n-úsáid trí Ghaeilge.

Níl i gceist le Céimeanna a 6 agus a 7 ach seanchleachtas comónta a bhí ann i roinnt éarnáil den Rialtas tar éis gur bunaíodh an Saorstát ar ais i bhfeidhm – sé sin ainmneacha Gaeilge amháin a úsáid i gcás brandáil an Stáit (ar nós Bord na Móna, RTÉ, An Taoiseach agus An Garda Síochána), agus do logainmneacha (ar nós Port Laoise, Cóbh, Dún Laoghaire).

Tá an seacht bunchlocha seo fréamhaithe sa sprioc an Stát a dhíchoilíniú den mheon “Béarla chun tosaigh” atá fós i bhfeidhm ó riail Shasana, agus féinmheas náisiúnta de saghas a chruthú. Trí gnónna a ullmhú le tréimhse roimh-ré agus le tacaíochtaí don aistriúcháin, agus ag cinntiú nach mbeadh feidhm ag na hathruithe ach ar phacáistiú, comharthaíocht agus meaisín nua amháin, tá súil ag Sinn Féin go bhféadfar iad a chur i bhfeidhm thar céad téarma i Rialtas le beagáin costas don Stát agus do ghnónna i gcoitinne.

Fiú sa bhfreasúra, agus leis na hinstitiúidí fós thíos ó thuaidh, féadfar torthaí cheannaireacht Shinn Féin leis na blianta beaga anuas a shonrú go soiléir agus iad go minic ina aonair ag seasamh suas do cur chun cinn na gcearta Gaeilgeoirí.

D’éiligh Sinn Féin Acht Gaeilge sna 6 Contae; tá sé sa dlí anois. Náirigh Sinn Féin an Rialtais trí na céadta leasuithe a chur ar Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla sna 26 Contae, agus ghéill siad do feabhsaithe suntasacha ar sholáthar seirbhísí stáit do Ghaeilgeoirí dá bharr. Chuir Bille Shinn Féin chun toghcháin daonlathacha a thabhairt ar ais d’Údarás na Gaeltachta brú ar an Rialtas a Bhille féin a fhoilsiú ina leith, rud atá os comhair Comhchoiste Gaeltachta an Oireachtais faoi Chathaoirleacht an Snodaigh féin. D’ardaigh Sinn Féin imní na dtuismitheoirí go ndéanfadh curaclam T1/T2 nua a bhí molta leithcheal ar scoileanna lánGhaeilge agus Gaeltachta; tá an tAire Norma Foley tar éis na moltaí sin a chaitheamh in aer.

Dea-chomhartha atá ann do thionchar Rialtas Shinn Féin ar an nGaeilge amach anseo más féidir leo an oiread sin athrú a dhéanamh ó bhinsí an fhreasúra. Curtha i bhfeidhm in éindí leis an bPolasaí Pleanála agus Tithíochta Gaeltachta a d’fhoilsigh an pháirtí anuraidh, agus leis an uailmhian leagtha amach ina aighneacht ar an bPolasaí don Oideachas lánGhaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht (rud a mhol obair i dtreo 50% de dhaltaí bunscoile a bheith ag freastal ar scoileanna lánGhaeilge faoi 2050), d’fhéadfadh Seacht nDícheall Sinn Féin difear as cuimse a dhéanamh don slí a n-úsáidtear an teanga fud fad na tíre.

Táim cinnte go dtacóidh lucht léitheorachta na Poblachta liom ag guí ár seacht mbeannacht orthu sna hiarrachtaí seo go léir! ν

• Tá Eoghan Ó Finn ina Chúntóir Parlaiminte ag obair ar pholasaithe Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir

The number seven has historically held special significance for Gaels le cuimhne na seacht sinsear (since time immemorial, or literally “in the memory of our seven ancestors”). It is our intensifying adjective par excellence. 

If you have enough of something, you have your dóthain, but if you have more than enough, it’s your seacht ndóthain (seven enoughs). Dying (bás) is bad enough, but being in agony is suffering seacht mbás (seven deaths). Ever since Fionn Mac Cumhaill commanded warriors in seacht gcatha na Féinne, the number seven has added significance to mythical moments in our history, be it Seachtar Laoch na Cásca (the seven signatories of the Proclamation) and the 1916 generation attempting to upend 700 years of foreign rule, or indeed more recently in Ireland’s legendary and as yet unequalled tally of seven Eurovision wins.

If you try hard, you do your dícheall, but if you try your absolute best, it’s your seacht ndícheall (seven efforts).

It’s no wonder then that when Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD committed the party to trying its very best for our national language if given the opportunity to govern, the policy setting out seven key areas for improvement is called just that: ‘Ár Seacht nDícheall don Ghaeilge’, launched during Seachtain na Gaeilge, aims to normalise and encourage use of Irish in the public sphere.

Speaking at the launch in Leinster House, to a room packed with party supporters, language activists, and media, Ó Snodaigh explained that Sinn Féin would implement international best practice from bilingual countries like Wales and Canada to build an environment that supports learners to engage with Irish in practical contexts outside school and empowers passive speakers (38% of the population in the 26 Counties) to become active users of Irish in their everyday life.

Step 1 would mean enshrining the right to speak Irish in law for the first time, protecting workers and members of the public alike from being stopped speaking Irish.

Steps 2, 3, 4, and 5 propose to increase the visibility of Irish in commercial life, specifically with bilingual product packaging and instore information. To encourage use of Irish, not only would ATMs and ticket machines be required to have an Irish language option, Irish should be the default home screen language, making Irish opt-out rather than opt-in. Ad space in public places would be expected to be at least 50% in Irish.

Steps 6 and 7 simply aim to revive what was a common practice in some quarters of Government following the establishment of the Free State – to use Irish names only for state branding (think Bord na Móna, RTÉ, Taoiseach, An Garda Síochána) and for place names (like Port Laoise, Cóbh, Dún Laoghaire).

These seven pillars are rooted in decolonising the State of the “English first” mentality that has persisted since British rule and building a sense of national self-respect. By preparing businesses with a run-in period and supports for translation, and ensuring only new packaging, signage or machines are affected, Sinn Féin would hope to deliver these changes over the course of a first term in Government with minimal cost for both the State and businesses.

Even while in opposition and with institutions down in the North, the fruits of Sinn Féin’s leadership in recent years, often as a lone political voice standing up for the advancement of the rights of Irish speakers, are clear for all to see. 

Sinn Féin demanded an Irish Language Act in the Six Counties; this is now law. Hundreds of Sinn Féin amendments on the Official Languages Act in the 26 Counties shamed Government into adopting significant improvements in the provision of state services to Irish speakers. A Sinn Féin Bill to restore democratic elections for Údarás na Gaeltachta forced Government to publish its own Bill to that effect, now before the Oireachtas Gaeltacht Committee which Aengus Ó Snodaigh chairs. Sinn Féin gave voice to the concerns from parents that the proposed new T1/T2 curriculum for Irish would discriminate against Irish medium and Gaeltacht schools; Minister Norma Foley has since scrapped the proposals.

That Sinn Féin is able to enact such effective change from the opposition benches surely bodes well for the future impact on the Irish language of a Sinn Féin Government. Implemented in tandem with the Gaeltacht Planning and Housing Policy the party launched last year, and the ambition set out in its submission on the Policy for Irish Medium Education outside the Gaeltacht (which proposed working towards 50% of primary school pupils attending Irish medium schools by 2050), Sinn Féin’s Seacht nDícheall have the potential to be a game-changer in how the language is used nationwide.

I’m sure the readership of An Phoblacht will join me in wishing the party ár seacht mbeannacht with their efforts! ν

• Eoghan Ó Finn is a Sinn Féin Parliamentary Assistant working on Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture