Save money! Close the countryside!

Scoil an Tuairín ar an Aoine! (Pic: Irish Times)

Last December we spoke about the devastating decisions being made by the Irish Department of Education on the Gaeltacht Schools in 90% of Gaeltacht Schools to close! Gradually the message is sinking into the rural districts throughout the country that this decision is going to effect their schools too. Huge (in rural terms) meetings have been held or are been held, demonstrations and letters are been written, politicians are been button-holed about this and other matters.

Ruairí Quinn! Éist linn!

An article in last weekend's Sunday Independent, For the sake of our future we must swim upstream, gives a vivid picture of the unease which is now been felt throughout rural Ireland and indeed now it is becoming apparent that other details of these grants are going to effect urban educational services especially where the education of the most challenging kind, to those who have difficulties in using the more regularly available services - those who ahve particular or "special" needs. It gives a horribly hollow sound to the promise contained in our Declaration of Independnce:

"...to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and all of its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past."

Little by little rural, Irish or English speaking areas are been alienated by the Irish government. People who pay taxes, who have contributed to the effluent treatment services are being singled out to pay themselves for inspection of their own treatment facilities. and perhaps to pay entirely from their own resources for any adjustments deemed to be required. If there is something found wanting in the effluent treatment facilities of a local authority plant the tax payer - all tax payers, rural and urban, will pay until it is put right.

Gaeltacht areas have the additional problem of the lack of services in their own language. If a person is ill he cannot have a guarantee of service in his own language. If a child has speech problems he has to change his home language to English in order to have the services of a speech therapist!  We have discussed some of thes in our blog, "Open letter to Senators."

Police stations, post offices, health services, (The HSE dental services have been withdrawn from Ceathrú Rua in the past week), even local authority offices are being withdrawn. Planning permissions are becoming more and more restricted to protect special areas of conversations either real are imagined. They are even being forbidden from harvesting the fuel that for generations they have used to heat their homes. All these decisions are been made by people who haven't a clue about the areas in which they are being considered.

Look at the map guys!
Two instances we have heard which display this ludicrous lack of knowledge:

The telephone box in Cill Rónáin was being withdrawn and prior to it withdrawal a notice appeared advising that fact and stating the the nearest telephone box after its withdrawal would be available in Roundstone! Look at the map guys!

The Department of Education has suggested - unofficially? - that the schools in Leitir Móir, Leitir Chaladh, Tír an Fhia, Leitir Mealáin, An Tuairín and maybe others be amalgamated as follows, Infants in Leitir Chaladh, Ages 7 to 10 in Leitir Móir and final years primary school in Tír an Fhia. This sort of solution in a Munster area is mentioned in the Independent article too. Look at the map guys!


And we've just been informed of more idiotic decisions notified to the people by the health authority. As is their wont, they did not have the good manners to communicate their decision in the language of the people.

"HSE announces reorganisation of dental services in Connemara 23 January 2012 From next month, the dental services provided in Connemara will be reorganised. Alternative arrangements are being made to replace the one day a week service currently provided from the Health Centre in Carna. Dr Joe O’Connor, Principal Dental Surgeon for Galway explained the reasons for the reorganisation, “We are short staffed and unable to replace staff who leave the service due to the public sector moratorium on recruitment. “Also, in order to continue to meet the national standards on infection control within the resources available, we need to relocate the Carna dental service. The clinic in Carraroe was recently upgraded and works are currently underway at the clinic in Clifden to meet the national standards on infection control. “At the moment there is a limited service provided by a dental hygienist in Carraroe and from February, a dental team will be in Carraroe for one day a week to provide an elective and emergency service to the area. “By moving the one day dental service from Carna to Carraroe we are able to reorganise our staffing and equipment to maximise the limited resources available.” Patients who currently attend the one day a week clinic in Carna will be asked to attend clinics in Clifden or Carraroe. The dental team will contact patients to re-arrange appointments in Clifden or Carraroe; nine National Schools are served by the clinic in Carna. Patients with questions should contact the Dental Clinic in the Clifden Health Centre on 095 21102.

Those who know the area will understand the lack of understanding of the area, never mind the cutting back of the services that permits treatment for the whole area to one day in the week, but their bland requirement for people, especially children to travel long journeys on narrow not to say dangerous roads is breathtaking. Local Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh expresses the worry of parents and patients when he says "The children of the area are being unfairly targeted due to the harsh cutbacks and the moratorium on recruitment in the HSE. This is inequitable, unfair and unacceptable. It is also very unfair to expect people to bear the extra travel costs pertaining to attending the basic services as outlined below which could have a detrimental long term effect on their health." Or as we say above: Look at the map guys!

Éamon de Valera spoke in his much laughed at address in 1943 about a countryside dotted with "cozy homesteads." It is clear that the government, Brussels and our planning authorities have these neighbourhoods in their sights.  Will they succeed where the famine and the might of imperial power all but failed? 


• See also "A second class education for second class pupils!" (23/1/2012) agus Lorna Siggans san Irish Times: "Gaeltacht parents oppose teacher ratio changes in smaller primary schools" (23/1/2012)

Open letter to Senators!

Open letter to members of Seanad Éireann on the occasion of debate on Irish and the Gaeltacht!

Dear Senator

I understand that the Seanad is to have a discussion on Irish and the Gaeltacht this afternoon.

I would like to make some points in English and would ask you to forgive any gramatical or other  errors in this paper.

As someone who lives in the Gaeltacht I believe that the language adn the very fabric of society here are being catastrophically threatened by the policys of the current administration.

The demotion of the Department of the Gaeltacht into an Art and Heritage sub set from a more sensible position as a component of Community Development. The Gaeltacht is a community not a museum, art gallery or heritage site. It's spokesman is now a Junior Minister who however well-intentioned has NO input into cabinet decisions concerning his people.

The Language Acht, by no means a perfect piece of legislation, is being steadily watered down and dissassembled. The first straw in the wind was the abolition of the right to have legislation introduced simultaneously into law. The second was the inexplicable decisiion to merge the office of the Language Commissioner into the Ombudsman's Office, a move which even the Junior Minister McGinley admits will cost the State money. In addition the fact that the Ombudsman's office is non-compliant with the law in matters under the responsibility of the Language Commissioner doues not auger well for the new arrangement. The Ombudsman's Office finding itself in breach of the law would be laughable.

Laws in other areas also add to the dangers. May I list those I know of:

1. Proposed legislation to tax on septic tanks only apply to rural areas - where the majority of Gaeltacht Areas are. (I have no problem with the proposed Household Tax in principle rather do I have a problem with the method of its introduction and how it is calculated!)

2. The uncertainty and probable abolition of the representative nature of Údarás na Gaeltachta will lessen if not totally erode the relevence of this body. It does need reform but giving the responsibility to local County Councils to appoint the board is false democracy.

3. Perhaps the most frightening threat from this Government is the decision on rural schools. This effects the Gaeltacht Areas severly. Under this legislation it looks like over eighty schools will close. Places like the Kerry Gaeltacht will leave one rural school as 13 out of 14 fail to reach the new target. In my own area over half the small schools will be closed/merged. Two will close in Múscraí, 28 in Donegal and 2 of the three in the Waterford Gaeltacht will close. In recent discussions between the Parents and public representatives it was apparant that those making the decision in the Department of Education had no idea of the effect or even of the geographic locations of the schools they are closing.

4. Another point about the Department of Education is the fact that only 1% of the staff of that Department are able to provide a service to these Gaeltacht (or any Gaelscoil) Schools.

5. Services like speech-therepy and other health services are by-and-large not available to children and grown-ups in their home language.

6. So-called "environmental issues" like no planning for single rural homes, turf-cutting, special areas of conservation etc are also restrictions which impact in various ways on various Gaeltacht areas.

7. The debacle of the introduction of the houshold tax is merely a reflection of the thoughtlessness in administration. As of this morning the form to register for this tax is unavailable either on-line or in local authority offices.

Finally there is no good example being provided by political, ecclesiastical or other leaders. For instance when was a contribution to discussions on any subject except the language itself ever held in the Dáil or Seanad, not to mention Local Authority. Indeed the only elected State Body which holds its meetings in Irish, Údarás na Gaeltachta, is apparantly sheduled for castration.

The Oireachtas, the Parliament of Ireland has NEVER to my knowledge issued a press release in Irish yet there are at least six media outlets for such releases. If they wish to transmit any news of the Oireachtas, debates or committee they must translate these from their own resources!

The requirements of Gaeltacht Areas are by an large those of many other Rurl Areas excepot they require them in Irish. There are little or no cost implications in this as it only requires personnal who are competant in the language who can speak and write it. In fact if any of the above

I've tried to compress thoughts here and there may be other points which could be made but I think there is enough to go on in the above.

Thank you for your attention and I hope you are successful in catching the Chair's eye in this debate!

Eoin Ó Riain
Irish Citizen
Caorán na gCearc,
Baile na hAbhann
Conamara
Co na Gaillimhe

• A letter from Guth na Gaeltachta with these points and also some others is available on Gaeltacht21: Guth na Gaeltachta chuig an Seanad (Irish 18/2/2012)

Independence of Coimisinéir Teanga strongly supported!

Leagan Ghaeilge

“Office of the Irish Language Commissioner must retain its independence” declare speakers at Tóstal na Gaeilge 2012

Review of the Official Languages Act

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht proposes to draft its first Irish language Scheme in accordance with Section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003. The primary objective of the Act is to ensure better availability and a higher standard of public services through Irish.

The Department now wishes to invite representations in relation to the preparation of the Scheme from interested parties. Written submissions, preferably in electronic format, should be forwarded by email to sean.coleman@ahg.gov.ie. Alternatively, they may be posted to 
Seán Coleman, Corporate Development, Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, New Road, Killarney, Co Kerry.

At Tóstal na Gaeilge 2012, which took place in Dublin today organised by Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, national and international experts were agreed for the successful implementation of the Official Languages Act, it is critical the Office of the Language Commissioner retain its independence and not be merged with any other state department or agency.

‘Fortifying the Status of the Irish Language’ was the theme of Tóstal na Gaeilge this year, and the international speakers Professor Colin Williams (Wales), Dr. Wilson McLeod (Scotland) and Professor François Grin (Switzerland) emphasised the importance of the independence of the Office of the Language Commissioner to enhance the status of the language under the Language Act, and said that the public could not have confidence in such an office it were not completely independent.

Among those who spoke during An Tóstal were, Language Commissioner, Seán Ó Cuirreáin, and Séamus Mac Giolla Chomhail, Principle Officer with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, as well as academic experts in the areas of language planning and sociolinguistics, and local language activists.

Speaker after speaker throughout the day commented that the lack of progression in ratifying and implementing new schemes under the current system is a demonstration of both a reluctance within Public Bodies to fully implement schemes, and of the failure of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to effectively manage the current system, and that these issues must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

During An Tóstal it was proposed to examine the possibility of an alternative system to that of the current language schemes. The proposed new system would see certain Public Bodies categorised under the Act to provide services in Irish to the same standard as those provided in English. It was recommended that the Office of the Language Commission would have a central role under the new system in both influencing current practices within Public Bodies, and in administering sanctions where Public Bodies fail to conform to their regulatory duties.

In support of the recommendations made to date by the Language Commissioner, the experts speaking at An Tóstal recognised the current crisis within the public service with such a low number of staff able to proficiently provide services in both official languages of the State. It was agreed that it is necessary to put a recruitment process in place which recognises the advantage of proficiency in both English and Irish, which will ensure a higher number of employees in Public Bodies under the Act will be able to deal with the public through Irish in the future.

The recommendations made during Tóstal na Gaeilge will be included in the submission by Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. A summary of those recommendations will be published on Gaelport.com, the Irish language news and information website, as a guide to the public as they complete the Department’s survey, or prepare submissions as part of the current consultation process.

Speaking at Tóstal na Gaeilge 2012, President of Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Pádraig Mac Fhearghusa said “the sheer number of people who attended Tóstal na Gaeilge this year reflects the interest and understanding which the public has in the review of the Official Languags Act 2003”. Mac Fhearghusa urges the public do “take action by completing the Deparment’s survey online before the deadline at the end of the month”.

Change of Language Commisioner status to cost money!

This is the text of an letter sent to the English Language and Irish media in Ireland:

We, as members of the Irish language community both within and outside of the Gaeltacht, expect that the Government will change its decision to merge the functions of the Language Commissioner with the Ombudsman Office in 2012 and are calling on the Government to make that change now rather than dragging out the process and further damaging the effectiveness of the office.

The Language Commissioner has been widely recognised as a highly efficient and dynamic commissioner who has been praised not only for his work in defending citizens' rights but also for being a proactive advocate of best language practice. A recent example of this would be the highly attractive module on general language rights that his office recently developed for use in Transition year at second level.

We now know that the decision, as admitted by the Minister of State for the Gaeltacht in the Dáil on the 24th November, could actually cost the state money. The decision also did not take in to account the fact that the current Language Commissioner has been reappointed until 2016 as an independent commissioner and therefore opens the state up to the risk of legal action which could cost the state even more money. Indeed, An Bord Snip Nua when they looked at the Office identified no efficiencies to be made and made no recommendation to alter the status of the Office of the Language Commissioner as an independent office.

All political parties and the Irish language and Gaeltacht organisations have backed the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2012 – 2030. We acknowledge that funding will be a problem in the short term but why undermine the strategy and the goodwill behind it with this decision that has been acknowledged as having no savings to make to the exchequer.

We believe that the Government should look at the economic arguments coupled with the wishes and the belief of the Irish language community both within and outside of the Gaeltacht that the Office of the Language Commissioner should be supported, that it has our trust and that it has been a very effective service since been set up in 2004. Reversing their decision is therefore the logical and correct thing to do and should be done without delay.

Is muidne le meas,

Aodán Mac an Mhílidh, Gaeilge Átha Luain
Aoileann Nic Dhonnacha, Baile Átha an Róine, Co. Laoise
Bláthnaid Ní Ghréacháin, Gaelscoileanna Teo.
Breandán Mac Gearailt, Ball d’Údarás na Gaeltachta
Cabríní de Barra, Comhlucht Forbartha na nDéise
Caitlín Neachtain, Bainisteoir, Comharchumann Dhúiche Sheoigheach
Caoimhín Ó hEaghra, An Foras Pátrúnachta
Carmel Nic Eochaidh, Spleodar
Colm Mac Séalaigh, Baile an Teampaill, Baile Átha Cliath
Conchubhair Mac Lochlainn, Seachtain na Gaeilge
Cumann Cearta Sibhialta Ghaeltacht Chorca Dhuibhne
Cumann na nOifigeach Forbartha Gaeilge (Earnáil Phoiblí), Roibeard Ó hEartáin & Páid Ó Neachtain
Donncha Ó hÉallaithe, Indreabhán, Co. na Gaillimhe
Donnchadh Ó hAodha, Uachtarán Chonradh na Gaeilge
Éamonn Mac Niallais, Guth na Gaeltachta
Eithne O’Doherty, Craobh na gCeithre Chúirteanna
Eoin Ó Riain, Baile na hAbhann, Co. na Gaillimhe
Feargal Ó Cuilinn, Comhluadar.
Gary Redmond, Uachtarán Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn
Gearóid Ó Murchú, An Spailpín Fánach
Julian de Spáinn, Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge
Liam Ó Maolaodha, Oireachtas na Gaeilge
Lorcán Mac Gabhann, Glór na nGael.
Maedhbh Ní Dhónaill, Ógras
Máirtín Ó Maolmhuaidh, Gaelphobal Cheantar an tSratha Báin
Mícheál de Mórdha, Uachtarán an Oireachtais 2010
Niall Comer, Uachtarán, Comhaltas Uladh
Pádraig Mac Fhearghusa, Fóram Gaeilge Chiarraí
Peadar de Blúit, Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn
Robbie Cronin, an chéad ionadaí don Ghaeilge thar cheann an ASTI
Ruth Ní Shiadhail, Gaeilge Locha Riach
Seán Ó Murchadha, Craobh Mhuineacháin

But past is all his fame....

"....And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew
That one small head could carry all he knew.
But past is all his fame. The very spot
Where many a time he triumphed is forgot...."

The truth seems to be sinking in of the impact of the Government's anti-rural (and anti-Gaeltacht if not anti-Irish) policies. The implications of our last piece on the eminent closure of an historic Gaeltacht school in Donegal is beginning to be reflected in the English speaking press at last.

Yesterday's Connaught Tribune paper highlights the impact in an article which points out that half the county's schools are earmarked for closure.

The list of schools in our small remaining Gaeltacht areas perhaps show the devastation - not to say cost - this short-sighted and ill-considered policy will cause!
Múscraí in Cork will close two out of six.
The Kerry Gaeltacht will loose 13 of 14 schools
Galway Gaeltacht (Conamara)  is to loose 22 out of 41.
The Mayo Gaeltacht will loose 21 out of 24.
The Donegal Gaeltacht 28 schools are in danger while in Rinn (Ring) 2 of their 3 schools will close.  
Almost 50% of all Gaeltacht Schools with their rich heritage and influence in fostering communities will be lost never to return. In a word we are talking about the death of the Gaeltacht, a policy which 800 years of conquest failed to complete and which now our own government hastens towards!

 In an article in yesterday's Irish Times, Seán Cottrel tries to understand the policy of the Department of Education in this regard, "It is regrettable that the Department of Education and Skills considers our network of rural schools superfluous and financially unviable." It goes on to say that  "recent research by Jim Spinks, research fellow at Melbourne University on behalf of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network, shows that schools with four teachers or fewer are as financially viable as medium-sized schools with between eight and 15 teachers."

More frighteningly the author states "More importantly, there is no educational argument to back up the Government’s case to close small schools." 

The argument continues along the lines that we have read in the Irish Language media about Gaeltacht Schools. "This goes to the heart of our identity as a nation and a community and to the high standards we have set ourselves as educators and parents."

Even from an economic viewpoint it does not appear to make much sense as the expansion of the larger schools will require larger facilities while the often excellent facilities in the small local schools financed in many cases by the community albeit supported by state funding.


He concludes the argument more clearly and more sharply than perhaps I have seen in the Irish media. "The blunt instrument of pupil numbers as the sole measure for determining the continued existence of a school is clearly limited. In my view, good policy and savings are more likely to emerge from the evidence provided by good practice than a knee-jerk reaction to the clamour for austerity measures."

Perhaps we need another Goldsmith to visit and chronicle many new Auburns! Or will we despite the hostility of the powers that be "Reprieve the tottering mansion from its fall?"

90% of Gaeltacht schools to close!

Schools with one to four teachers with less than 86 pupils are to be reviewed, according to new guidelines from the Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn. These schools are being asked to look at their amalgamation options also.

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames is asking questions of the Education Minister: Some small rural schools are being put in immediate jeopardy by staffing cuts (Irish Times 26/1/2011)

There is little if any real indication of any consideration, still less consultation on the part of government of the importance that these small schools in the community or of the standard of education and learning the impart.

"This could mean that up to 90% of Gaeltacht schools could be amalgamated or closed. In the Gaeltacht areas that is 26 schools from 41 in Galway, 21 out of 24 in Mayo, in Donegal 31 from 42, in Waterford 2 from 3, 13 out of 14 in Kerry and three out of six in Cork. That is 96 0ut of 110 Gaeltacht schools in total", according to Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh.

School closed by Government: "Parents are devastated!"

An example of this is the 100 year old school near Loch an Iubhair in the Donegal Gaeltacht despite the fact that the Junior Minister for the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley in attending the celebrations at the end of October could see no reason why the school coild not continues its good work for another 100 years. An Irish Times report quotes one of the parents as saying “He was full of praise for the school and spoke very favourably about its ethos and said he hoped it will remain open for another 100 years. And now we are told by the Department of Education that we are to close at the end of this school year.” To add insult to injury the principal of this Gaeltacht school was informed by the Department by letter in English. The school principal according to a local newspaper said: "Parents are devastated! This is a great small school and our ambition was to grow it rather than to close it." This particular school had the eminent writer Seamus Ó Grianna (Máire).

These decisions will alter the delivery of primary education in rural Ireland completely it look as if only facile and possibly pseudo economic criteria are being used rather than the the possible implications this will have on pupils, teachers, the community and on societal and true economic factors.

We have until 31st January 2012

The rain was coming down in sheets last Friday in Galway city. The Pillo Hotel was the venue for a meeting called to discuss the policy - or apparant lack of policy - of the Irish government with regard to the Irish speaking people and the ever-shrinking districts in which Irish is the vernacular language.

Despite the inclement weather more that eighty people gathered to discuss the matter.

So who were they?
The were represented of some of the language movements as one would expect. However it also included representatives of community organisations and co-operatives from Irish speaking areas as well as un-aligned individuals. People came to this meeting from Gaeltacht areas in Ulster, Munster. Leinster and of course Connacht. 

What says the Dictionary! merge [murj] merged, merg·ing. verb (used with object) 1. to cause to combine or coalesce; unite. 2. to combine, blend, or unite gradually so as to blur the individuality or individual identity of: They voted to merge the two branch offices into a single unit.

Why did the gather?
Well the immediate worry of those present was the unexpected and catastrophic decision of the Government on 17th October 2011 as part of Goverenment's Public Service Reform Decision to:
"Merge functions of Language Commissioner with Ombudsman Office. To be progressed in the context of the ongoing review of the Official Languages Act 2003."

The predominent feeling of the meeting was shock, surprise, anger and frustration that a government decision like this was taken without consulation, as far as can be ascertained, with anybody who was directly concerned. The Ombusdman herself or the Coimisinéir Teanga himself were not consulted it was reported. Surprise was also expressed in the fact that this is a decision taken before the Review of the Language Act which was announced by the Junior Minister at the Department of the Gaeltacht a mere fourteen days previously. Nobody present could understand the logic of such a decision. (See also our blog: Developing language policy by hunch! 19/11/2011)

The meeting was chaired by Éamonn Mac Niallas from Guth na Gaeltachta, a recently founded organisation set up to inform  areas which still mantain Irish as the vernacular of the effect of Government thinking and policy on their lives and livelyhoods. Commenting on the decision he said "It is amazing that such a decision has been taken at the very beginning of the implementation of the Government's 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 - 2030. This decision makes absolutely no sense at all, and the Irish language community will now be very sceptical that this Government in any way serious about strategically planning for the Irish language community. What message does this give the Civil Service, a service Irish speakers have been trying to access their rights from for years now? What this is saying to them is that this independent office is not important and as such, that it is not important to implement the Languages Act."

The Coimisinéir and the Review! "He said that the public were being afforded an historic opportunity between now and 31 January 2012 to put proposals to the Department to ensure the provision of an Act fit for purpose which serves the wishes of the Irish language community in an appropriate manner and which gives meaning to the constitutional provision that Irish is the first official language as it is the national language." 4/12/2011

The Secretary General of Conradh na Gaeilge, Julian de Spáinn, first made a presentation on this and other decisions which affect the operation of the Act and on the previously announced review. When the review was first announced it was welcomed by and large by the Irish language and Gaeltacht community organisations organisations as an wonderful opportunity to improve the language act. It was a chance they thought to revise those parts which were impractical and strengthen those parts which were effective. Later when they saw the survey questionnaire there was some disappointment in how negative it appeared to be. However be that as it may he pointed out that the Department did say that they would welcome additional representations independently of the questionnaire and indeed the Comisinéir himself had submitted a 15 page Commentary on the practical application and operation of provisions of that Act last July (see here!).

The change of the name of Dingle was at the behest of some of the people of the town who felt that visitor to the area were incapable of making the adaption - something that doesn't appear to have occured to those who changed names of the Indian city's of Mumbai (Bombay) or Chennai (Madras) and indeed inexplicably there appeares to have been no movement to change road-signs in Italy to Florence/Firenze

Watering down!
The Language Act has in fact already been altered since its enactment. The first change was in the relatively minor though emotional matter of the name-change of the town of Dingle-Daingin Uí Chúis from the more usual "An Daingin."

The second was a more serious change in that it permitted the enactment of an act of the Oireachtas in one or other of the "national languages," instead of as the act required in both languages. This was a de facto a diminution of the status of the language, something that the Act was supposed to protect. Indeed all political parties in the Dáil and Seanad claim to wish to protect and enhance the status of Irish.

The decision to merge the office of the Coimisinéir Teanga with that of the Ombudsman diminishes that status drastically. When asked to defend this decision the Junior Minister charged with responsibility for the Gaeltacht had several interesting things to say.

Logic? The decision with regard to the Comisinéir Teanga is not the only one in this documnent to defy logic. Fintan O'Toole, the Irish Times columnist with whom this blogger does not often agree, has pointed out some of these strange decisions in several articles. • Never mind slashed budgets: mindless mergers are the arts' big problem (3/12/2011) See also letter response in IT 6/12/2011: Financial cutbacks in culture sector! • Want to hear about a daft idea that deserves to be shelved? (19/11/2011)

Firstly he said that other ombudsman- like offices were to be merged with the Ombudsman Office. On the serface this seems true enough? However on closer examination there seem to be differences in emphasis: "Merge Commission on Public Service Appointments with Ombudsman Office "  seems straightforward enough but "Merge back-office functions of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children into the Ombudsman/Information Commissioner’s Office," seems to mantain the independance of the actual Childrens' Ombudsman; "Office of the Data Protection Commissioner: Amalgamate with the Office of the Ombudsman," seems a strange amalgamation in this day and age. However there seems to be no plan to merge the Garda Ombudsman Commission or the Financial Services Ombudsman although the  Pensions Ombudsman is to merge with the Financial Services Ombudsman. Where is the logic of these different decisions?

We must bear in mind that the reform's outlined in Howlin's document accepted and decided at Cabinet were largly economic. "We will relentlessly focus on delivering better value for money through the implementation of Public Service Reform," it says. However in response to a question in the Dáil Junior Minister Dinny McGinley said "Perhaps when this is finished it will cost more!..." (B’fhéidir, nuair a bheadh an deireadh thart go gcosnóidh sé níos mó....).

This final comment was greeted with some incredulity by the meeting.

What to do!
One of the possible things discussed was a boycott of the Review of the Act, instigated by the Department. However it was felt that this would perhaps feed the hostile intentions aimed at watering down the powers of the Act further. The most effective means of influencing the onward progress of the language status was to engage in the process. Éamon Ó Cuív, who as Minister painstakingly steered this act through the Oireachtas, suggested that personal contact with the local representative, TD, Senator and Councillor was far more effective that sending an email. There are so many emails now being sent to these representatives as to render them practically ineffective. Trevor Ó Clochartaigh was also present at the meeting and spoke strongly in favour of maintaining the independence of the office of the Coimisinéir Teanga. We did not hear or see any representatives of the Government party though I think there were some messages apologising for not been present.

The survey itself was felt to be written is a way which suggested preferred answers perhaps aimed at weakening the act.  It seems to be aimed at people who regularly use, or have regular contact with state services. However careful consideration of each of the questions and how one might use the services in the future should help in completing it usefully. A paper was distributed at the meeting which helped in understanding how to answer the questions.

The Conradh has made some  suggestions for additional points:

• That public companies have a statutory duty to provide their services in the Gaeltacht in an equal measure as provided in English in other areas. This national demand for service in Irish should also be fostered pro-actively throughout the country as an equal choice with that service in English.
• That the complexity of the services provided through language schemes to date be eased and a new system with a standard based on statutory regulations be developed
• Statutary languge regulations be clarified with bodies employed by public bodies acting on their behalf providing services to the public.

The most important thing was however to complete the survey and also to submit any additional suggestions thought to be of importance. (You might think that some of those from the Comisinéir Teanga worth emphasising here or those suggested above by the Conradh.) The form may be completed in Irish too. The form may be completed electronically in Irish or in English.

The meeting ended almost on-time, unusual in this correspondents experience, and when we emerged from the hotel the rain was still dancing on the early evening streets of Galway reflecting  the first lights of Christmas glimmering in the pools of water on the pavements.