British language rights for British citizens

Le Colm Ó Broin

Tá tuairisc ag Gaelscéal  an tseachtain seo go bhfuil Dominic Ó Brolcháin ón SDLP ag iarraidh ar an Tánaiste, Éamonn Gilmore ceist Acht na Gaeilge a thógáil le rialtas na Breataine.

Gaelscéal na seachtaine seo - príomhscéal ag díriú ar iarrachtaí RTÉ chun Nuacht TG4 agus Nuacht RnaG a chomhnascadh

Bhuail Ó Brolcháin le Gilmore i mBaile Átha Cliath agus dúirt sé ina dhiaidh go bhfuil dualgas ar Rialtas na Breataine Acht Gaeilge a “bhrú chun tosaigh” faoi Chomhaontú Chill Rimhinn.

Níl mórán seans ann áfach go gcuirfidh Westminster acht i bhfeidhm beag beann ar Stormont.

Tá reachtaíocht teanga diúltaithe ag an DUP iliomad uair mar sin tá an cuma ar an scéal nach bhfuil cumhacht ar bith ag Sinn Féin agus an SDLP maidir leis an cheist seo.

Má dhiúltaíonn an DUP ‘straitéis’ Ghaeilge an mbeidh siad in ann aon rud a dhéanamh faoi?

Ní mór cuimhniú nach bhfuil pobal na Gaeilge i dTuaisceart Éireann ag lorg níos mó cearta teanga ná mar atá ag daoine i gceantair eile sa Ríocht Aontaithe cheana féin.

Gaelscéal reports this week that the SDLP’s Dominic Ó Brolcháin has called on the Tánaiste, Éamonn Gilmore to raise the issue of an Irish Language Acht with the British government.

 Ó Brolcháin met Gilmore in Dublin and said afterwards that there was an obligation on the British Government to implement an act under the St Andrews Agreement.

 It seems unlikely that Westminster will be willing to go over the heads of Stormont on this one, and given the DUP’s oft-stated opposition to language legislation this leaves Sinn Féin and the SDLP looking rather powerless.

 If the DUP blocks an Irish language ‘strategy’ is there anything they can really do about it?

 It is worth recalling that Irish speakers in Northern Ireland are not looking for any more language rights than people in other parts of the United Kingdom have already.

 

 

 

 

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