ANNEX
D - OTHER WRITTEN EVIDENCE SUBMISSION
FROM AN COMUNN GÀIDHEALACH Tha na leanas mar fhreagairt bhon Chomuinn
Ghàidhealach fa chomhar iarrtas Chomataidh an Fhoghlam, a' Chultair agus
Spòrs airson beachdan mu phrionnsabalan coitcheann Bile Cànan na
Gàidhlig (Alba) bho dhaoine aig a bheil ùidh ann. Is e buidheann
ballrachd coimhearsnachd a tha anns a' Chomunn Ghàidhealach a tha ag amas
air taic agus leasachadh cànan, cultar, eachdraidh agus dualchas na Gàidhlig
aig ìrean ionadail, nàiseanta agus eadar-nàiseanta. Tha seo
a' dol air adhart tro lìonra de roinnean agus mheuran taobh a-staigh agus
taobh a-muigh na h-Alba. Tha An Comunn Gàidhealach a' toirt an taic
do phrionnsabalan coitcheann a' Bhile seo - a' chiad Bile Cànan Gàidhlig
a chaidh a thoirt air adhart ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, agus tha iad a'
gabhail sùim, mar a tha an neach a chur e air adhart, seach gur e Bile
Bhall a tha ann, nach bi mòran farsaingeachd aige. Tha sinn a' cur ar taic
ris an t-amas stèidh cho-ionannachd a bhith ann a thaobh cànanan
na Gàidhlig agus na Beurla ann a bhith a' toirt seachad seirbheisein poblach,
agus tha sinn a' cur fàilte air a mholadh gum bi riatanas air buidhnean
poblach Planaichean Cànain Gàidhlig fhoillseachadh agus a bhuileachadh.
Feumaidh reachdas cur às don mhì-chinnt a tha ann an dràsta
mu inbhe na Gàidhlig. Tha sinn mothachail nuair a thèid tagraidhean
a-steach bho bhuidhnean Gàidhlig gu buidhnean crannchur mar "New Opportunities
Fund" gum bitear gan diùltadh seach nach eil inbhe oifigeil aig a'
Ghàidhlig ann an Alba, mar a tha aig Cuimris anns a' Chuimrigh, agus a
dh'aindeoin sin, tha Riaghaltas an UK air a bhith ag ràdh o chionn iomadach
bliadhna gu bheil "iomchaidheachd co-ionann aig a' Ghàidhlig agus
a' Bheurla". Feumar an t-suidheachadh seo a shoilleireachadh tro reachdais.
Tha dragh mhòr oirnn leis an lughdachadh air farsaingeachd sgìreil
a tha air a mholadh airson Earrann 1 (Planaichean Cànain Gàidhlig)
gus nach bi seo a' buntainn ach ri sgìrean ùghdarrais na Gàidhealtachd,
na h-Eileanan an Iar, agus pàirt de Earra Ghàidheal agus Bhòid.
Mar bhuidhean nàiseanta le ceanglaichean ionadail làidir againn
tro ar meuran, tha sinn a' creidsinn gu bheil agus gum bu chòir cànan
na Gàidhlig a bhith airson Alba air fad. Tha i na prìomh phàirt
den dualchas nàiseanta againn, tha luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig a'
fuireach anns a h-uile pàirt den dùthaich, agus gu dearbh tha earrainn
mhòr de dh' àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig ann an Alba
a' fuireach taobh a-muigh na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean. Chan fhaod reachdas
leis an amas taic a thoirt dhan chànain a bhith ag adhbharachadh sgaraidhean
taobh a-staigh coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig. Am bliadhna, bi Am Mòd
Nàiseanta Rìoghail (companaidh bho sheilbh a' Chomuinn Ghàidhealach)
a' cur an 100mh Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail air adhart anns an
t-Òban. Bi tagraidhean airson aoigheachd a thoirt don Mhòd Nàiseanta
Rìoghail mar Fhèis Nàiseanta Gàidhlig na bliadhna,
a' tighinn thugainn bho mheuran agus roinnean den Chomuinn air feadh na h-Alba,
agus tha sinn gam measadh a rèir taic ionmhais ionadail, tachartasan Gàidhlig
san sgìre, iomchaidheachd thogalaichean/àiteachan-fuirich etc. Tha
e deatamach gum faighear taic ionmhais bho Chomhairlean ionadail, Chompanaidhean
Iomairt, agus bhuidhean phoblach agus prìobhaideach eile mus aontaich sinn
am prìomh thachartas seo a chur air adhart. Ma thèid am Bile seo
anns an dreach anns a bheil e tro Phàrlamaid na h-Alba, bhiodh dùil
againn gur e aon de na toraidhean gum biodh taic ionmhais poblach dha Fèisean
Ghàidhlig san àm ri teachd air a chuingealachadh ri sgìrean
na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean, agus mar sin bhiodh e buailteach nach biodh
an Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail a' dol air adhart tuilleadh taobh
a deas na h-Alba. Bhiodh seo na chall mhòr do luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig
ann an sgìrean Meadhan na h-Alba agus Taobh a-Deas na h-Alba, agus gu h-àraidh
do sgoilearan ann am foghlaim tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Bi sibh eòlach
air cho soirbheachail sa tha Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu - a' chiad Sgoil
Ghàidhlig a chaidh fhosgladh ann an Alba, a tha a-nis a' feumachdainn togalach
mas motha gus coinneachadh ri iarrtas F.T.M.G ann an Glaschu. Fhuair sinn
dearbhadh air an dragh seo o chionn ghoirid nuair a dhiùlt Iomairt na h-Alba
Taobh Tatha an taic airgid ris an robh dùil a thoirt don Mhòd Nàiseanta
Rìoghail a thèid a chumail ann am Peairt ann an 2004. Chaidh diùltadh
tagradh airson Mòd 2005 a stèidheachadh ann an Inbhir Chluaidh gu
ìre seach nach robh Buidheann Iomairt na sgìre deònach taic
ionmhais gu leòr a thoirt seachad. Air an làimh eile, gheibhear
taic mhòr airgid bho Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean nuair
a bhios am Mòd a' dol air adhart anns an sgìre acasan. Bhiodh na
h-eadar-dhealachaidhean sin ann a bhith a' maoineachadh tachartasan Ghàidhlig
nas fharsainge buileach nam biodh sgaraidhean air a chruthachadh ann an uallaichean
leasachaidh na Gàidhlig tron Bhile seo. Bu chòir an cothrom
reachdail a tha an seo a ghabhail gus stèidh reachdail a thoirt do Bhòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba gus am bi ùghdarras cheart aca airson Plana Nàiseanta
na Gàidhlig mar a chaidh a lìbhrigeadh ann an Aithisg Buidheann
Comhairleachaidh an Riaghaltais, a leasachadh. Mar sin, tha sinn a' cur
moladh chun Chomataidh am Bile atharrachadh gus na riatanasan a tha ann a leudachadh
air feadh na h-Alba, le taic bhon Riaghaltas airson gealltanas maoineachaidh iomchaidh
a thoirt seachad agus an cothrom a ghabhail foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig
a leudachadh , agus stèidh reachdail a chur sa Bhile airson uallach Bòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba. Tha sinn deònach fianais bheòil
a thoirt seachad don Chomataidh a' toirt taic do na puingean gu h-àrd,
nam biodh sin feumail. Aonghas Dòmhnallach Ceann-suidhe An
Comunn Gàidhealach The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill The
following constitutes the response of An Comunn Gàidhealach to the Education,
Culture and Sport Committee's decision to seek views from interested parties on
the general principles of the Gaelic Language (Scotland ) Bill. An Comunn
Gàidhealach is a community-led membership organisation whose aim is to
support and develop all aspects of the Gaelic language, culture, history and heritage
at local, national and international levels. This is done through a network of
regions and branches within and outwith Scotland. An Comunn Gàidhealach
supports the general principles of this Bill - the first Gaelic Language Bill
to be introduced in the Scottish Parliament, and recognises, as does the sponsor,
that as a Member's Bill, it is of necessity limited in its scope. We support the
intention to establish a basis of equality between Gaelic and English in the delivery
of public services, and welcome the proposal to impose a requirement on public
bodies to prepare, publish and implement Gaelic Language Plans. Legislation needs
to remove the current confusion as to the status of Gaelic. We are aware of instances
where lottery applications from Gaelic bodies to the New Opportunities Fund are
refused because Gaelic does not have official status in Scotland, unlike Welsh
in Wales, and yet the UK Government has stated for many years that Gaelic "enjoys
equal validity with English." This position needs to be clarified through
legislation. We are seriously concerned with the proposed geographical
limitations on the scope of Section 1 (Gaelic Language Plans) as applying solely
to the local government areas of Highland, Western Isles and part of Argyll and
Bute. As a national organisation with close local links through its branches,
we believe that the Gaelic language is and should continue to be for Scotland
as a whole. It is a key part of our national heritage, Gaelic speakers and supporters
live in all areas of the country, and in fact a very large proportion of the total
number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland reside outwith the Highlands and Islands
areas. Legislation aimed at supporting the language must not have the effect of
creating divisions within the Gaelic community. This coming year, Am Mòd
Nàiseanta Rìoghail (a company owned by An Comunn Gàidhealach)
will be staging the 100th Royal National Mod in Oban. Bids to host
the Royal National Mod as the National Gaelic Festival of the year, come from
branches and regions of An Comunn Gàidhealach all over Scotland and are
assessed on the basis of local funding support, Gaelic activity in the area, suitability
of venues/accommodation etc. Funding support from local Councils, Enterprise Companies
and other public and private organisations is a pre-requisite top the staging
of this major event. If this Bill in its existing form is passed by the Scottish
Parliament, one of the outcomes we would anticipate is that public authority support
for Gaelic festivals would be confined to the Highlands and Islands areas leaving
the dintinct possibility that the Royal National Mod would not in future be hosted
south of the Highland line. This would be a considerable loss to the Gaelic speaking
population in the Central and South of Scotland areas, and particularly pupils
in Gaelic-medium education. You will of course be aware of the success of Bun-sgoil
Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu - the first dedicated Gaelic-medium School to be opened
in Scotland, and now needing larger accommodation to cope with the demand for
G.M.E. in Glasgow. Our fears in this respect were recently confirmed when
Scottish Enterprise Tayside failed to give the expected funding support to the
Royal National Mod to be held in Perth in 2004. A bid to host the Mod in Inverclyde
in 2005 was unsuccessful partly on the grounds of underfunding by the local Enterprise
Company in that area. This contrasts with substantial funding from Highlands and
Islands Enterprise when the Mod is held in their area. Such existing differences
in funding Gaelic events would be aggravated further by creating divisions in
responsibility for Gaelic language development through the terms of this Bill.
The legislative opportunity available at this time should also include
statutory backing for Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba so that it can function
with the necessary authority to develop the National Plan for Gaelic as set out
in the Report by the Ministerial Advisory Group on Gaelic. We therefore
encourage the Committee to amend the Bill to extend its provisions throughout
Scotland, seeking Executive approval for the necessary funding commitment and
to take the opportunity to further develop Gaelic-medium education, and to include
a statutory basis for the remit given to Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba. We
are willing to give oral evidence to the Committee in support of the above points
should this be required. Angus Macdonald President, An
Comunn Gàidhealach SUBMISSION
FROM AN GÀIDHEAL ÙR Tha na leanas mar fhreagairt bhon Ghàidheal
Ùr fa chomhair iarrtas Chomataidh an Fhoghlaim, a' Chultair agus an Spòrs
airson beachdan mu phrionnsabalan coitcheann Bile Cànan na Gàidhlig
(Alba) bho dhaoine aig a bheil ùidh ann. Is e pàipear-naidheachd
neo-eisimeileachd Gàidhlig a tha air a clò-bhualadh bach mìos
a tha anns a' Ghàidheal Ùr. Thathas ga chuairteachadh gu farsaing
aig ìre choimhearsnachd anns na h-Eileanan an Iar agus gu cuid de dh' àiteachan
air tìr-mòr na h-Alba, gu h-àraidh Sgoiltean Gàidhlig
agus Aonadan Gàidhlig. Is e seo an aon phàipear-naidheachd a tha
air fhoillseachadh gu h-iomlan anns a' Ghàidhlig, a' solarachadh seirbheis
shonraichte do luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig. Tha e gu h-iomlan ann an sealbh
a' Chomuinn Ghàidhealaich agus tha am pàipear a' dol le amasan na
buidhne sin airson taic agus leasachadh cànan, cultair, eachdraidh agus
dualchas na Gàidhlig aig ìrean ionadail, nàiseanta agus eadar-nàiseanta.
Tha An Gàidheal Ùr a' toirt an taic do phrionnsabalan coitcheann
a' Bhile seo - a' chiad Bile Cànan Gàidhlig a chaidh a thoirt air
adhart ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, agus tha iad a' gabhail sùim,
mar a tha an neach a chur e air adhart, seach gur e Bile Bhall a tha ann, nach
bi mòran farsaingeachd aige. Tha sinn a' cur ar taic ris an t-amas stèidh
cho-ionannachd a bhith ann a thaobh cànanan na Gàidhlig agus na
Beurla ann a bhith a' toirt seachad seirbheisean phoblach, agus tha sinn a' cur
fàilte air a mholadh gum bi riatanas air buidhnean phoblach Planaichean
Cànain Gàidhlig fhoillseachadh agus a bhuileachadh. Feumaidh reachdas
cur às don mhì-chinnt a tha ann an dràsda mu inbhe na Gàidhlig.
Tha sinn mothachail nuair a thèid tagraidhean a-steach bho bhuidhnean Gàidhlig
gu buidhnean crannchur mar "New Opportunities Fund" gum bithear gan
diùltadh seach nach eil inbhe oifigeil aig a' Ghàidhlig ann an Alba,
mar a tha aig Cuimris anns a' Chuimrigh, agus a dhaindeoin sin, tha Riaghaltas
an UK air a bhith ag ràdh o chionn iomadach bliadhna gu bheil "iomchaidheachd
co-ionann aig a' Ghàidhlig agus a' Bheurla". Feumar an t-suidheachadh
seo a shoilleireachadh tro reachdais. Tha dragh mhòr oirnn leis
an lughdachadh air farsaingeachd sgìreil a tha air a mholadh airson Earrann
1 (Planaichean Cànain Gàidhlig) gus nach bi seo a' buntainn ach
ri sgìrean ùghdarrais na Gàidhealtachd, na h-Eileanan an
Iar, agus pàirt de Earra Ghàidheal agus Bhòid. Mar bhuidhean
nàiseanta le luchd-leughaidh ann an sgìrean air feadh na h-Alba,
tha sinn a' creidsinn gu bheil agus gum bu chòir cànan na Gàidhlig
a bhith airson Alba air fad. Tha i na prìomh phàirt den dualchas
nàiseanta againn, tha luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig a' fuireach anns
a h-uile pàirt den dùthaich, agus gu dearbh tha earrainn mhòr
de dh' àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig ann an Alba a' fuireach
taobh a-muigh na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean. Chan fhaod reachdas leis
an t-amas taic a thoirt dhan chànain a bhith ag adhbharachadh sgaraidhean
taobh a-staigh coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig. Bu chòir an cothrom
reachdail a tha an seo a ghabhail gus stèidh reachdail a thoirt do Bhòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba gus am bi ùghdarras cheart aca airson Plana Nàiseanta
na Gàidhlig mar a chaidh a lìbhrigeadh ann an Aithisg Buidheann
Comhairleachaidh an Riaghaltais, a leasachadh. Mar sin, tha sinn a' cur
moladh chun Chomataidh am Bile atharrachadh gus na riatanasan a tha ann a leudachadh
air feadh na h-Alba, le taic bhon Riaghaltas airson gealltanas maoineachaidh iomchaidh
a thoirt seachad agus an cothrom a ghabhail foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig
a leudachadh , agus stèidh reachdail a chur sa Bhile airson uallach Bòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba. Tha sinn deònach fianais bheòil
a thoirt seachad don Chomataidh a' toirt taic do na puingean gu h-àrd,
nam biodh sin feumail. Coinneach MacIòmhair Cathraiche, An
Gàidheal Ùr Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill The
following constitutes the response of An Gàidheal Úr to the Education,
Culture and Sport Committee's request for views from interested parties on the
general principles of the Gaelic Language (Scotland ) Bill. An Gàidheal
Úr is an independent Gaelic Language newspaper published on a monthly basis.
It is circulated widely at community level throughout the Western Isles and to
various outlets on mainland Scotland, particularly Gaelic-medium Schools and Units.
This is the only newspaper available that is published solely in Gaelic, providing
an unique service to Gaelic speakers. Fully owned by An Comunn Gàidhealach,
the paper aspires to that organisation's aims in supporting and developing all
aspects of the Gaelic language, culture, history and heritage at local, national
and international levels. An Gàidheal Ùr supports the general
principles of this Bill - the first Gaelic Language Bill to be introduced in the
Scottish Parliament, and recognises, as does the sponsor, that as a Member's Bill,
it is of necessity limited in its scope. We support the intention to establish
a basis of equality between Gaelic and English in the delivery of public services,
and welcome the proposal to impose a requirement on public bodies to prepare,
publish and implement Gaelic Language Plans. Legislation needs to remove the current
confusion as to the status of Gaelic. We are aware of instances where lottery
applications from Gaelic bodies to the New Opportunities Fund are refused because
Gaelic does not have official status in Scotland, unlike Welsh in Wales, and yet
the UK Government has stated for many years that Gaelic "enjoys equal validity
with English." This position needs to be clarified through legislation. We
are seriously concerned with the proposed geographical limitations on the scope
of Section 1 (Gaelic Language Plans) as applying solely to the local government
areas of Highland, Western Isles and part of Argyll and Bute. As a national organisation,
with a readership in areas throughout Scotland, we believe that the Gaelic language
is and should continue to be for Scotland as a whole. It is a key part of our
national heritage, Gaelic speakers and supporters live in all areas of the country,
and in fact a very large proportion of the total number of Gaelic speakers in
Scotland reside outwith the Highlands and Islands areas. Legislation aimed at
supporting the language must not have the effect of creating divisions within
the Gaelic community. We believe that the legislative opportunity available
at this time should also include statutory backing for Bòrd Gàidhlig
na h-Alba so that it can function with the necessary authority to develop the
National Plan for Gaelic as set out in the Report by the Ministerial Advisory
Group on Gaelic. We therefore encourage the Committee to amend the Bill
to extend its provisions throughout Scotland, seeking Executive approval for the
necessary funding commitment and to take the opportunity to further develop Gaelic-medium
education, and to include a statutory basis for the remit given to Bòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba. We are willing to give oral evidence to the Committee
in support of the above points should this be required. Kenneth
Maciver Chairman, An Gàidheal
Ùr SUBMISSION
FROM AN GÀIDHEAL ÙR Tha na leanas mar fhreagairt bhon Ghàidheal
Ùr fa chomhair iarrtas Chomataidh an Fhoghlaim, a' Chultair agus an Spòrs
airson beachdan mu phrionnsabalan coitcheann Bile Cànan na Gàidhlig
(Alba) bho dhaoine aig a bheil ùidh ann. Is e pàipear-naidheachd
neo-eisimeileachd Gàidhlig a tha air a clò-bhualadh bach mìos
a tha anns a' Ghàidheal Ùr. Thathas ga chuairteachadh gu farsaing
aig ìre choimhearsnachd anns na h-Eileanan an Iar agus gu cuid de dh' àiteachan
air tìr-mòr na h-Alba, gu h-àraidh Sgoiltean Gàidhlig
agus Aonadan Gàidhlig. Is e seo an aon phàipear-naidheachd a tha
air fhoillseachadh gu h-iomlan anns a' Ghàidhlig, a' solarachadh seirbheis
shonraichte do luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig. Tha e gu h-iomlan ann an sealbh
a' Chomuinn Ghàidhealaich agus tha am pàipear a' dol le amasan na
buidhne sin airson taic agus leasachadh cànan, cultair, eachdraidh agus
dualchas na Gàidhlig aig ìrean ionadail, nàiseanta agus eadar-nàiseanta.
Tha An Gàidheal Ùr a' toirt an taic do phrionnsabalan coitcheann
a' Bhile seo - a' chiad Bile Cànan Gàidhlig a chaidh a thoirt air
adhart ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, agus tha iad a' gabhail sùim,
mar a tha an neach a chur e air adhart, seach gur e Bile Bhall a tha ann, nach
bi mòran farsaingeachd aige. Tha sinn a' cur ar taic ris an t-amas stèidh
cho-ionannachd a bhith ann a thaobh cànanan na Gàidhlig agus na
Beurla ann a bhith a' toirt seachad seirbheisean phoblach, agus tha sinn a' cur
fàilte air a mholadh gum bi riatanas air buidhnean phoblach Planaichean
Cànain Gàidhlig fhoillseachadh agus a bhuileachadh. Feumaidh reachdas
cur às don mhì-chinnt a tha ann an dràsda mu inbhe na Gàidhlig.
Tha sinn mothachail nuair a thèid tagraidhean a-steach bho bhuidhnean Gàidhlig
gu buidhnean crannchur mar "New Opportunities Fund" gum bithear gan
diùltadh seach nach eil inbhe oifigeil aig a' Ghàidhlig ann an Alba,
mar a tha aig Cuimris anns a' Chuimrigh, agus a dhaindeoin sin, tha Riaghaltas
an UK air a bhith ag ràdh o chionn iomadach bliadhna gu bheil "iomchaidheachd
co-ionann aig a' Ghàidhlig agus a' Bheurla". Feumar an t-suidheachadh
seo a shoilleireachadh tro reachdais. Tha dragh mhòr oirnn leis
an lughdachadh air farsaingeachd sgìreil a tha air a mholadh airson Earrann
1 (Planaichean Cànain Gàidhlig) gus nach bi seo a' buntainn ach
ri sgìrean ùghdarrais na Gàidhealtachd, na h-Eileanan an
Iar, agus pàirt de Earra Ghàidheal agus Bhòid. Mar bhuidhean
nàiseanta le luchd-leughaidh ann an sgìrean air feadh na h-Alba,
tha sinn a' creidsinn gu bheil agus gum bu chòir cànan na Gàidhlig
a bhith airson Alba air fad. Tha i na prìomh phàirt den dualchas
nàiseanta againn, tha luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig a' fuireach anns
a h-uile pàirt den dùthaich, agus gu dearbh tha earrainn mhòr
de dh' àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig ann an Alba a' fuireach
taobh a-muigh na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean. Chan fhaod reachdas leis
an t-amas taic a thoirt dhan chànain a bhith ag adhbharachadh sgaraidhean
taobh a-staigh coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig. Bu chòir an cothrom
reachdail a tha an seo a ghabhail gus stèidh reachdail a thoirt do Bhòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba gus am bi ùghdarras cheart aca airson Plana Nàiseanta
na Gàidhlig mar a chaidh a lìbhrigeadh ann an Aithisg Buidheann
Comhairleachaidh an Riaghaltais, a leasachadh. Mar sin, tha sinn a' cur
moladh chun Chomataidh am Bile atharrachadh gus na riatanasan a tha ann a leudachadh
air feadh na h-Alba, le taic bhon Riaghaltas airson gealltanas maoineachaidh iomchaidh
a thoirt seachad agus an cothrom a ghabhail foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig
a leudachadh , agus stèidh reachdail a chur sa Bhile airson uallach Bòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba. Tha sinn deònach fianais bheòil
a thoirt seachad don Chomataidh a' toirt taic do na puingean gu h-àrd,
nam biodh sin feumail. Coinneach MacIòmhair Cathraiche, An
Gàidheal Ùr Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill The
following constitutes the response of An Gàidheal Úr to the Education,
Culture and Sport Committee's request for views from interested parties on the
general principles of the Gaelic Language (Scotland ) Bill. An Gàidheal
Úr is an independent Gaelic Language newspaper published on a monthly basis.
It is circulated widely at community level throughout the Western Isles and to
various outlets on mainland Scotland, particularly Gaelic-medium Schools and Units.
This is the only newspaper available that is published solely in Gaelic, providing
an unique service to Gaelic speakers. Fully owned by An Comunn Gàidhealach,
the paper aspires to that organisation's aims in supporting and developing all
aspects of the Gaelic language, culture, history and heritage at local, national
and international levels. An Gàidheal Ùr supports the general
principles of this Bill - the first Gaelic Language Bill to be introduced in the
Scottish Parliament, and recognises, as does the sponsor, that as a Member's Bill,
it is of necessity limited in its scope. We support the intention to establish
a basis of equality between Gaelic and English in the delivery of public services,
and welcome the proposal to impose a requirement on public bodies to prepare,
publish and implement Gaelic Language Plans. Legislation needs to remove the current
confusion as to the status of Gaelic. We are aware of instances where lottery
applications from Gaelic bodies to the New Opportunities Fund are refused because
Gaelic does not have official status in Scotland, unlike Welsh in Wales, and yet
the UK Government has stated for many years that Gaelic "enjoys equal validity
with English." This position needs to be clarified through legislation. We
are seriously concerned with the proposed geographical limitations on the scope
of Section 1 (Gaelic Language Plans) as applying solely to the local government
areas of Highland, Western Isles and part of Argyll and Bute. As a national organisation,
with a readership in areas throughout Scotland, we believe that the Gaelic language
is and should continue to be for Scotland as a whole. It is a key part of our
national heritage, Gaelic speakers and supporters live in all areas of the country,
and in fact a very large proportion of the total number of Gaelic speakers in
Scotland reside outwith the Highlands and Islands areas. Legislation aimed at
supporting the language must not have the effect of creating divisions within
the Gaelic community. We believe that the legislative opportunity available
at this time should also include statutory backing for Bòrd Gàidhlig
na h-Alba so that it can function with the necessary authority to develop the
National Plan for Gaelic as set out in the Report by the Ministerial Advisory
Group on Gaelic. We therefore encourage the Committee to amend the Bill
to extend its provisions throughout Scotland, seeking Executive approval for the
necessary funding commitment and to take the opportunity to further develop Gaelic-medium
education, and to include a statutory basis for the remit given to Bòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba. We are willing to give oral evidence to the Committee
in support of the above points should this be required. Kenneth
Maciver Chairman, An Gàidheal
Ùr SUBMISSION FROM BÒRD
GÀIDHLIG NA H-ALBA Thank you, Karen, for the request to submit the
views of Bord na Gaidhlig.
I am sorry to be replying at literally
the eleventh hour but I delayed until I had held the first of my open community
meetings as chair of the board yesterday in Ness, in Lewis, at which I was accompanied
by Douglas Ansdell, of the executive's Gaelic Unit.
I was keen to
take soundings at that meeting: it was very obvious from the forty people attending
(not bad for a Saturday morning!) that there will be a great sense of frustration
if the bill does not make progress in the current parliament. That message was
conveyed very clearly and, indeed, although based on only this one 'focus group',
I consider it to be a very fair representation of the current 'Gaelic community'
view nationally.
The unanimous view of Bord na Gaidhlig, as a group,
was agreed at our second formal meeting held on Friday, 31.1.03, and remains exactly
as described in my communication to Mike Watson, which I am forwarding to you.
The same message has also been sent to Mike Russell, as the proposer of the bill.
This same response was publicised by me on BBC Radio nan Gaidheal's morning news
programme last Monday and therefore is already in the public domain.
I hope this is of help to the committee in its deliberations and now that the
board is operational I would be happy to meet the committee or yourself as required.
I record the sincere thanks of the board to your members for the time
devoted to the bill and the collection of evidence. This parliamentary time is
much appreciated by all in the Gaelic world and, of course, by the new board.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if any further response or information
is required.
Donnchaidh I. MacFhearghuis/Duncan J. Ferguson
Cathraiche/chair
Bord na Gaidhlig
Thank
you again for joining Bord na Gaidhlig at its inaugural meeting in Glasgow and
your words of support and interest were much appreciated by the members. The subsequent
press coverage was also most encouraging.
Following your own discussion
with us and consideration of the evidence submitted to the Education Culture and
Sport Committee with respect to Mike Russell's Private Members' Bill, at our second
meeting in Inverness yesterday, we as a board reached the unanimous position (given
below) which we shall now make public in the hope it will enhance the future discussions
in the parliament including any stage 1 debate.
Our view is as follows:
Bord na Gaidhlig supports this Bill subject to three important amendments:
i) The Bill should apply to the whole of Scotland
ii)
Bord na Gaidhlig requires the Bill would provide a statutory basis for Bord na
Gaidhlig.
iii) This would mean that Bord na Gaidhlig would deal with
Gaelic plans provided by public bodies rather than the Ombudsman.
Thank
you again for your support.
Duncan J. Ferguson
Chair, Bord
na Gaidhlig
SUBMISSION FROM
JOHN CHARITY I would be pleased if you would accept this letter as my submission
of evidence on the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill to the Education, Culture &
Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament. I would like to emphasise that these
are my personal views alone - they do not represent any employer or organisation
at all with which I may be connected - and I am not a member of any political
party. I have two sons (aged 8 and 10 respectively) currently in the Gaelic-medium
Department Ullapool Primary school. My eldest son also went through the same department
for all of his primary education and continues to study Gaelic, through the medium
of Gaelic at Ullapool High School. I have actively supported Gaelic and Gaelic-medium
medium Education in this locality in a voluntary capacity for about 18 years.
I have learned Gaelic myself (to a degree!) as a (very) mature student. I
would like to greatly welcome the possibility that a bill giving some rights to
Gaelic may become law. Despite my appreciation of such a bill, I would first
of all like to express my reservations concerning the limitations of its contents.
The vast majority of those involved in Gaelic in one way or another, including
myself, expected that a Scottish Executive would deliver Secure Status for Gaelic,
for the benefit of all of Scotland. It has been a great disappointment that this
has not happened and this bill falls far short of the provisions that were expected
from the Executive. There is no mention of Gaelic-medium Education (GME)
in the bill. However, the legal right to Gaelic-medium Education would go some
way to preventing other parents having to struggle against the sort of powerful
opposition that we had here to contend with in order to achieve it - even under
a supportive Local Authority (then Highland Regional Council). It took us five
years to achieve GME and in the meantime many children were deprived of the opportunity
of this valuble form of education. Even now, this Gaelic Educational provision
could be withdrawn as a result of a change in attitude of our, or any other, local
authority. This gives neither parents nor teachers confidence in the long-term
future of GME. It is a great shame that the bill, if it goes into law,
will only apply to 'relevant areas'. Gaelic is fundamental to the heritage of
all of us, wherever we live in Scotland, it does not belong exclusively to a particular
group of people. Many Gaelic-speakers and learners come from different cultures,
and not necessarily from Gaelic or Highlands and Islands backgrounds. A policy
should recognise the geographic spread of Gaelic-speakers, learners and supporters
throughout Scotland. This network of people is itself a Gaelic community, as much
as those communities in areas recognised as 'Gaelic-speaking'. Despite these
doubts, I take the view, that if the provisions in the bill were to be enthusiastically
endorsed and implemented by public bodies, it would represent substantial progress
for the use of Gaelic by public bodies. I would like, therefore to offer the following
observations to the Committee. Numbers in [square brackets] refer to paragraph
numbers in the document 'Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill [AS INTRODUCED]'. I
welcome the fact that a public body will have to specify the measures that it
will take in its Gaelic Language Plan. It is essential that these Plans genuinely
address the needs of the Gaelic Community (in its broadest sense), that they are
detailed and subject to measurement. [1(2)(a)] If I understand it correctly,
a body whose remit extends to the relevant areas will have to implement the act
in those areas, even though it may operate in other areas too. It will be understood
from my previous comments that I believe that the act should apply to all of Scotland
but, if this is not going to be the case, this requirement is crucial. There must
be no grounds for a body whose head office lies outwith the relevant areas and
producing material centrally, to use this as an excuse for not producing material
or plans where it should do so. [3(1)(b)] I hope that the phrase 'so far
as is both appropriate in the circumstances and reasonably practicable', in reference
to giving effect to the principle that Gaelic and English would be treated on
a basis of equality, would be more clearly defined and be measurable. This phrase
would not be a problem with bodies that support the bill in spirit as well as
letter, but is a perfect let-out clause for those who do not. [1(3)] In
the SCHEDULE, [Materials 2], the paragraph requires a public body to give details
of documents and other materials for internal and external use which it will make
availble in Gaelic. I would like to suggest the following should be included as
some of the requirements of the Gaelic Language Plan, and be incorporated in the
bill: The format of Gaelic material should be given careful consideration,
depending on the circumstances. Separate English and Gaelic publications, for
example, are sometimes appropriate, and sometimes back-to-back English and Gaelic
text is more appropriate. Bilingual publication is sometimes superior to both.
The latter is particularly useful to learners who are given the opportunity to
see how ideas expressed in one language are expressed differently in the other
- very often a direct translation is inappropriate. Some older native speakers
have reading skills that do not reach their perfect idiomatic Gaelic and welcome
the chance to read both languages. Signing and stationery would be the most
publicly obvious evidence of a body's Gaelic policy and would be seen throughout
Scotland. All logos, letterheadings, compliments slips, etc that are used nationally
should be bilingual. By definition, all them all go into the 'relevant areas',
regardless of where they are sent from. This would be simple, quick and inexpensive
to implement. Gaelic placenames often have a relevance to a place that is
lost in the English version of its name. In very many instances, so-called English
names are attempts to spell Gaelic names using English orthography and are meaningless
in both languages. Correct Gaelic placenames for places whose names are Gaelic
in origin should be used throughout Scotland in all material. As in 4.4.2 above,
placenames are seen in publications etc in the 'relevant areas', regardless of
where they are sent from. The continual use of centrally produced English-only
material from many bodies going into areas where there are Gaelic-medium departments
in schools undermines Gaelic-medium Education itself. It also does nothing to
support learners of the language, or the language itself. I urge that specific
reference is made in the bill for the production of bilingual or Gaelic-only material
(as appropriate) suitable for Gaelic education, particularly GME at all levels,
as part of any Gaelic language plan. The question of 'complexity' in design
is sometimes used as an excuse in opposition to bilingual publications, signage
etc. However, a number of very successful bilingual publications are produced
already. Bilingual production is just another part of a design brief and should
be seen as such, not as a problem. In the SCHEDULE, [Designated contact],
the Gaelic Language Plan requires details of 'one or more senior post-holders
or staff to be designated for internal or external enquiries in or about the Gaelic
language'. In my opinion, whether they are the same person or not, it is essential
that there is a staff member of sufficient status to ensure that the policy is
actively and enthusiastically implemented. I have limited this letter to
comments on those area to which I hope I have some experience to bring (and the
requested 4 sides of A4 - just!). Despite my regrets about the limitations of
the bill, if it is a positive step to Gaelic achieving legal rights throughout
Scotland, and if the Gaelic Language Plans are meaningful, proactive and
they are implemented, then I enthusiastically support it. After twenty years
of Gaelic-medium Education being available, my children are still very lucky to
see or hear Gaelic used in publications, museums, visitor centres and the like,
anywhere in Scotland, even in some of those places that claim to be about Highland
or Scottish heritage. The survival and development of Gaelic should not
be left to individual enthusiasm for it, or antagonism towards it. For too long
Gaelic has survived on a grace-and-favour basis, and parents been subject to the
influence of anti-Gaelic bigots and ignoramuses as we try to support the language
for our children, and their children. I indeed hope that our Scottish Parliament
will support the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill. I hope that you find
this letter useful. Thank you for your time. SUBMISSION
BY COMANN NAM PÀRANT (NÀISEANTA) RO-RÀDH 'S
e buidheann taice a th' ann an Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) do
phàrantan aig a bheil clann aig a h-uile ìre de dh'fhoghlam tro
mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Nochd taic nam pàrant airson foghlam Gàidhlig
an toiseach ann an Inbhir Nis ann an 1984 agus bha e cudromach ann a bhith a'
stèidheachadh foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig san sgìre
sin. Chaidh na ciad aonadan Gàidhlig am fosgladh ann an Inbhir Nis agus
Glaschu ann an 1985. Tha an t-iarrtas airson foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig
air a dhol am meud bhon uairsin agus, a-nis, tha mu 30 buidheann Comann nam Pàrant
stèidhichte air feadh na dùthcha. Tha a h-uile sgìre far
a bheil foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig ri fhiaghinn air a riochdachadh
air a' chomataidh stiùiridh aig Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta),
a chaidh a stèidheachadh ann an 1994. 'S e prìomh amas Chomann
nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) a bhith a' cur air adhart agus a' toirt taic
do stèidheachadh is cumail suas foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig.
Tha a Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) a' strì ach am bi foghlam
tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig ri fhaighinn aig a h-uile ìre de dh'fhoghlam,
far a bheil iarrtas ann bho phàrantan. Tha sinn a' creidsinn gum bu chòir
do dh'fhoghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a bhith air an aon stèidh
ri foghlam tro mheadhan na Beurla. INBHE THÈRAINTE Tha
Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) air a bhith a' toirt taic dhan an
iomairt aig Comunn na Gàidhlig airson inbhe thèarainte dhan Ghàidhlig.
Ann an 2000, dh'ullaich Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) athchuinge,
a' sireadh inbhe laghail a bheireadh tèarainteachd dhan a' Ghàidhlig.
Tha an athchuinge sin fhathast ga deasbad am measg chomataidhean na Pàrlamaid. AM
BILE Tha Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) a' cur fàilte
air a Bhile Phrìobhaideach aig Mìcheal Russell BPA air a' Ghàidhlig.
'S e ceum chudromach a th' ann gu bheil a' Ghàidhlig ga deasbad toabh staigh
na Pàrlamaid. Tha sinn gu sònraichte a' toirt taic dhan a' phrionnsabal
a th' anns a' Bhile airson co-ionnannachd a bhith ann airson na Gàidhlig
agus Beurla. Tha uallach oirnn a thaobh cuid de na nithean anns a Bhile,
ge-ta. · Tha sinn a' creidsinn gum bu chòir cuideam
a chur air còirichean phàrantan a thaobh foghlam tro mheadhan na
Gàidhlig ann am prionnsabal a' bhile. Tha sinn a' toirt làn thaic
dhan a' mholadh anns an dreach iuìl aig Comunn na Gàidhlig air Inbhe
Thèarainte gum bu chòir do dh'ùghdarrasan foghlaim `a bhith
liubhairt foghlaim tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig aig a h-uile ìre far
a bheil iarrtas reusanta'. Tha mòran dhen bheachd gu bheil foghlam tro
mheadhan na Gàidhlig bunaiteach airson a' Ghàidhlig a chumail beò
san àm ri teachd agus feumaidh misneachad a bhith aig pàrantan gu
bheil teàrainteachd sòlarachaidh agus aithne laghail ann airson
foghlam an cuid cloinne. · Tha sinn gu laidir an aghaidh a' bheachd
gum bu chòir inbhe laghail dhan chànan a bhith air a chungealachadh
ri sgìrean sònraichte de dh'Alba. Feumar Gàidhlig fhaicinn
mar chànan a bhuineas do dh'Alba gu lèir. Tha àireamh mhòr
de chloinn a' faighinn foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig taobh muigh Gaidhealtachd
na h-Alba.
MOLADH Tha sinne a' moladh gun gabh
an Comataidh Foghlaim, Cultair agus Spòrs an cothrom, ann a bhith a' deasbad
a' Bhile, cudromachd na Gàidhlig ann an dualchas na h-Alba a dhaighneachadh.
Cuideachd, bu chòir dhan Chomataidh atharraichidhean a mholadh a bheireadh
dhuinn inbhe thèarainte dhan Ghàidhlig, mar a tha ann an Dreach
Iùl airson Achd Ghàidhlig, a dh'ullaich Comunn na Gàidhlig
anns an Iuchar 1999. In English Introduction Comann
nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) is the support organisation for parents who
have children attending any level of Gaelic medium education. The first parental
support movement began in Inverness in 1984 and was instrumental in securing,
and initially part-financing Gaelic-medium education (GME) in that area. The first
Gaelic-medium units were opened in 1985 in Inverness and Glasgow. The developing
parents' movement and the growing demand for GME have led to the formation of
around thirty Comann nam Pàrant groups throughout Scotland. All areas where
Gaelic-medium education is provided are represented on the management committee
of Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) which was formed in 1994. The
aim of Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) is to promote and support the
establishment and maintenance of education through the medium of the Gaelic language.
Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) seeks to achieve the provision, at
all levels of the state education system, of Gaelic-medium education for all children
whose parents desire it. We believe that Gaelic-medium education should have parity
of provision with English-medium education. Secure Status Comann
nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) have supported Comunn na Gàidhlig's
campaign for secure status for Gaelic. In 2000, Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta)
submitted a petition to Parliament calling for legislation to secure the future
of the Gaelic language. That petition is still being processed through various
committees in Parliament. The Bill Comann nam Pàrant
(Nàiseanta) welcomes the Private Members' Bill on the Gaelic Language as
submitted by Michael Russell MSP. The fact that Gaelic is being debated within
the Scottish Parliament at the present time is a positive step. We particularly
support the principle of the Bill in recognising the need for equality between
Gaelic and English within Scotland. However, we have concerns about some
aspects of the Bill. · We believe that parental rights to Gaelic medium
education should be a fundamental principle within a Gaelic language bill. We
fully support the recommendation in Comunn na Gàidhlig's Secure Status
document `that statutory provision be put in place requiring local authorities
to make available Gaelic medium education based on reasonable demand'. It is widely
recognised that education through the medium of Gaelic is vital for the future
of the language and parents need to have confidence that there is security of
provision and legal recognition of their right to Gaelic medium education for
their children. · We strongly oppose the idea that legal status for
the language be available only in particular geographical areas of Scotland. Gaelic
must be recognised as a language belonging to all areas of the country. A large
number of children receiving their education through the medium of Gaelic are
to be found in areas outwith the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Recommendation We
recommend that the Education, Culture and Sport Committee take the opportunity,
in debating this Bill, to confirm the importance of Gaelic to the heritage of
Scotland and to propose amendments to the Bill in order to provide secure status
for the language, as outlined in Comunn na Gàidhlig's Draft Brief for a
Gaelic Language Act (July 1999). SUBMISSION
FROM THE COMMISSION FOR RACIAL EQUALITY While the Commission for Racial
Equality (CRE) supports the promotion of minority languages and culture, we have
concerns about the proposed Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill. The Bill's
objectives The Policy Memorandum to the Bill sets out that the two
main objectives of the legislation are to "establish a basis of equality
between the Gaelic and English languages in Scotland" and to "place
a requirement on certain public bodies to prepare, publish and implement a Gaelic
Language Plan." The Memorandum also states that "it is the intention
that in time the Bill will be brought into force for the whole of Scotland and
order-making powers are given to the Scottish Ministers to extend the area in
respect of which the Bill is in force." The CRE feels that there is
a lack of clarity about the possible ramifications of the Bill. The CRE considers
that the objectives are far-reaching and that they have potentially significant
resource implications for public authorities in Scotland. The CRE would
therefore urge the Committee to take account of the following points: ·
that the Bill is unnecessary in order to meet specific needs of Gaelic speakers
as legislation already in place establishes a good framework for meeting the needs
of service-users; · that the Bill could actually
militate against new duties on public bodies in Scotland to promote race equality. Race
duties already in place Public bodies in Scotland have recently been
placed under a statutory duty to promote race equality and good race relations
by Section 71 of the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended in 2000). Further,
the Race Relations Act 1976 (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Order 2002 places a
duty on the majority of devolved public bodies in Scotland to prepare and publish
a "Race Equality Scheme" which must set out in detail the action the
public body is taking to promote race equality. In particular, this scheme must
set out the body's arrangements for "consulting on the likely impact of proposed
policies on the promotion of race equality" and for "ensuring public
access to information and services which it provides." These duties
already provide a framework for public bodies to consult and engage with service
users in order to meet their needs effectively. The CRE feels that placing a further
duty on such bodies to publish another scheme or plan is unnecessary. The
CRE would also note here the Local Government in Scotland Bill which frees up
local authorities to promote "well-being" in their area and places duties
on local authorities to consult service users and to prepare community plans.
Public resources Public bodies have a limited level of
resources available for translation and interpretation work. Given these constraints,
the CRE believes that allocation of resources should be made on the basis of meeting
needs in an equal way. The CRE therefore feels that the development of Gaelic
services should not be prioritised over other minority language needs. The
CRE would also note that advocating the promotion of the Gaelic language is not
about tackling exclusion, because few Gaelic speakers find it problematic to communicate
effectively in English. However, many people are excluded from civic life in Scotland
because they cannot communicate effectively in English. In this context, we feel
that the Parliament's priority should be to help those people who currently cannot
engage at all. The impact on race relations While the CRE
supports the promotion of minority languages and culture, we are concerned that
establishing "a basis of equality between the Gaelic and English languages"
is a far-reaching objective, which could send out an unhelpful message in terms
of race relations. The CRE feels that, in dealing with minority languages, it
is potentially damaging to race relations to promote one language and its associated
culture above others to the degree that this Bill proposes. If you require
any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Alternatively,
you can contact the CRE's Parliamentary Officer Lucy Chapman by calling 0131 524-2000
or emailing lchapman@cre.gov.uk Mick Conboy Acting
Head of CRE Scotland SUBMISSION
FROM GAELIC FOR ALL `Gaelic For All' is a group seeking to make Gaelic language
and culture accessible and available to all who wish it, through all the various
forms of Gaelic education. We recognise that while Gaelic-medium teaching is appropriate
for some children, little emphasis has been placed on the value of Gaelic as a
second language within the school curriculum, and we view this as an important
element for the survival of the language. Gaelic For All welcomes this opportunity
to provide evidence to the sub-committee on the implications for the Gaelic language
of the private members bill presently under consideration. General Points Gaelic
for All produced a report in May 2002, highlighting the lack of opportunity and
access points for Gaelic language learning, particularly with reference to children.
We believe that ensuring appropriate access to Gaelic for children and adults
alike is fundamental to any future Gaelic legislation. Our report further demonstrated
that Gaelic Medium Education (GME) alone, while providing an important pillar
on which a language revival can be built, clearly cannot provide the magnitude
of numbers required. Our research indicates that the demand for different forms
of Gaelic education varies across the country, and the major differences in the
needs or requirements of different communities should be accommodated in any Gaelic
legislation. National Policy We hold the view that a Gaelic
Language Policy, giving clear strategic direction in regard to all the different
forms of Gaelic education, should rest with and be guided by the Scottish Parliament
and Executive, as is the case with the Welsh Assembly (as stated in the Assembly's
Policy Statement on Welsh). In Scotland, our correspondence has revealed confusion
over what constitutes currently a national policy on Gaelic and particularly as
to which body has responsibility for Gaelic as a second language. The MAGOG report
was cited by one local authority as constituting "the national position"
on Gaelic, so the report's failure to mention Gaelic as a second language has
an enormous implication, and highlights the need for establishing a cohesive,
national policy by the Executive. The Welsh Assembly has in contrast brought out
a clear "Policy Statement" on the Welsh language, which unambiguously
states that "It is also vitally important that there is effective teaching
of Welsh as a second language at both primary and secondary level", to enable
the people `to develop a sense of ownership for the language' and thereby to reclaim
it as a national asset. Normalisation and mainstreaming of the Gaelic
Language The long term aim for Gaelic language revival must be for
the language to fully utilised as an every day language. The tiny current language
base and its subsequent scarcity of human and financial resources however necessitate
that prioritisation is crucial. This basic problem is already evident in Gaelic
Medium Education, where there are continual shortages of teachers. There is an
implication that blanket nation-wide secure status would result in expansion of
Gaelic into public bodies, and will (in order to avoid discrimination in job vacancies)
require Gaelic teaching to be available. As the Welsh example shows `status has
important legal and administrative implications'. This problem would be further
compounded if there was a compulsion placed on all public and/or private bodies
to provide Gaelic services. The basic question of where Gaelic teachers are going
to be found to provide Gaelic language teaching to public sector workers, has
yet to be answered, particularly as Gaelic tutors are in short supply in many
areas of Scotland. It can only come about realistically if phased steps
are followed, to provide widespread Gaelic education for as many of the population
as wish to learn, within differing regions of the country in response to demand.
It is very important that the assessment of demand be determined by an impartial
organization, as part of a national policy. In order for the education
system to respond effectively to Gaelic legislation, we believe that it is evident
that Gaelic language courses such as the Gaelic Language in Primary Schools (GLPS)
scheme, will need to be provided on a much larger scale. Similarly GLPS like schemes
will have to be available internally within public bodies to ensure adequate and
appropriate learning opportunities exist. Local Flexibility and Zoning Given
the practicalities of increasing the current level of teachers, we believe some
sort of phased approach is needed. Ideally the legislation would provide a series
of triggers, based on demand within each region, which would be defined in the
Bill. There is a time issue involved in guaranteeing various public bodies affected
by Gaelic legislation have a sufficient preparation period to be able to conform
to the legislation; and areas such as the Highlands and Islands are already in
a more advanced situation than other regions. This is why the Bill, as presented,
may be the most pragmatic way to proceed, with pre-determined triggers and targets
as a response to recognized demand, for other areas to follow. Each area of Scotland
could eventually attain appropriate levels of Gaelic compulsion and/or encouragement
to reflect the demand in their particular region. Differing demand would trigger
appropriate levels of Gaelic legislation in a consensual approach, with local
flexibility. Discrimination Without an effective phased in
provision of Gaelic education for all Scottish citizens, there is a danger that
the Scottish Parliament may be responsible for discrimination in access to Gaelic
education, particularly for families who wish to be able to access learning Gaelic,
but who do not wish for this to be in GME, for various reasons. Despite the huge
potential of learners in this category, the MAGOG Report has omitted making any
provision for these children. We have identified a very high level of interest
in Gaelic outwith of GME, and attached is a list of some of the reasons we have
discovered for families wishing to learn Gaelic as a second language subject. Under
Article 7, the Objectives and Principles of the European Charter for Regional
and Minority Languages, it clearly sets out the need for providing facilities
for non-speakers of Gaelic living in Scotland, to learn if they so desire. This
issue also abuts onto employment legislation and equal opportunities legislation.
In regard to this, it should be noted that a growing number of jobs throughout
Scotland require a knowledge of Gaelic (both Gaelic necessary and Gaelic desirable).
Fluency is a progressive line, that runs from proficiency continuously
through to competence and general interest. If Gaelic was introduced from early
primary as a second language subject in mainstream schools, the total number of
hours would enable children to attain a confidence and ability with Gaelic and
other language learning, thereby benefiting everybody (as has happened in Ireland).
There are other innovative possibilities that need to be discussed, such as quasi-immersion
courses (like the very effective French partial immersion being taught in Walker
Road Primary in Torry, Aberdeen) for children and adults. We recommend funding
for this be ring fenced to avoid any further confusion about who has responsibility
for Gaelic as a second language subject. Ombudsman It is
very important, particularly because of the equal opportunities and discrimination
issues, that an impartial watchdog has specific responsibility for the implementation
of Gaelic legislation. Graeme Miller, as chairman of the Scottish Consumer Council,
stressed the importance of an impartial regulator because `It is difficult to
build public trust in a complaints procedure in which a professional body investigates
its own members.' The Gaelic community is small and if there are any areas for
debate, it needs to be done, and perceived to be done, in an open and unbiased
way, as befits any use of public funding. Some of the reasons why GME as
a way of learning Gaelic may not always be preferred: · parents uncertain
about `experimenting' with children's education · parents concerned
about inability to help with schoolwork if they cannot speak or understand Gaelic ·
families whose children have missed the single entry point (children of primary
1 age only) · parents worried about continuity in education if they
decide to take children out of GME at a later stage, because it is a different
type of education · parental choice in preferring children to attend
local schools · parents may not be happy with GME provision in their
area · native speaking families who want their children to learn Gaelic,
but would prefer mainstream schooling to ensure English achievements are being
maximised · perception that learning Gaelic is not worth the effort
as it cannot be used as a vibrant, spoken language outside of the school ·
concern about divisiveness and exclusion by placing children in GME ·
parents who are concerned about lack of understanding to do with immersion, maintenance
and submersion learning · parents who are confused by GME and bilingual
education policies SUBMISSION FROM GLASGOW
CITY COUNCIL I refer to your letter of 13 December 2002 requesting comment
on Stage 1 of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill. I note below the provision
for Gaelic which is made by Glasgow City Council at present, and enclose for your
information a copy of a leaflet which explains the provision of Gaelic education
in Glasgow. Glasgow City Council supports the development of Gaelic education
and culture through provision of Gaelic medium education in pre-five, primary
and secondary education. In addition, adult language classes are provided by Cultural
and Leisure Services through their community Learning Team. Glasgow City
Council receives some assistance in the provision of Gaelic medium education through
specific grant in addition to the Council's own funding. Primary education
through the medium of Gaelic commenced in 1985 and secondary education in 1987.
Pre-five provision commenced in 1997. In 1999, Glasgow opened the first dedicated
Gaelic School in Scotland. Gaelic medium education is provided in the school for
children aged 3 to 12. I enclose for your information, our recently published
pamphlet on Gaelic Education in Glasgow. Cultural and Leisure Services support
adults in learning Gaelic as an additional language and also in upgrading skills
of native speakers. Support is provided for parents of the Gaelic School in addition
to courses which are provided to enable adults to take SQA qualifications. The
implications of the Gaelic Language Bill are in addition to the support for Gaelic
which is already provided by the Council. The Gaelic Language Plans which are
required by the Bill, indicate that services exclusively for users of Gaelic language,
translation services and a designated contact officer would be in addition to
that already provided. This would have implications for finance for the Council
and would therefore require financial support in specific grant funding from central
government. I trust this information is helpful to you and thank you for
the opportunity to comment on Stage 1 of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill. James
Andrews Chief Executive Glasgow
City Council SUBMISSION FROM MIKAEL
GRUT I refer to your email of 28.11.02 inviting evidence on general issues
arising from the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill, by 7 January 2003. The
following statistics on the number of Gaelic-speakers in Scotland at different
times in the recent past may be of interest to you: YEAR SPEAKERS,'000 SOURCE 1901
231 1 1981 91 1 1999 30 2 Sources: 1. Encyclopaedia Britannica,
15th Edition, 1997, Vol. 22, pages 670-71, in "Languages of the World: Celtic
languages". 2. Tapani Salminen: Unesco's Red Book on Endangered Languages:
Europe. Updated on 22.9.99. On the Internet at www.helsinki.fi/~tasalmin/europe_index.html The
above figures refer to people who actually use Gaelic in the daily life, for whom
it is the first language or mother tongue, not to people who have learnt Gaelic
at school as a foreign language, the way one learns Latin. I think it is these
numbers of the actual speakers which are the most relevant in this connection.
The figures show that the language is almost extinct. If the trend of the last
hundred years continues unchecked, the language will become extinct in a few years'
time. Incidentally, I have similar statistics for the other Celtic languages --
Breton, Irish and Welsh -- and the trends indicate that Gaelic will become
extinct even sooner than they will. By these comments I do not mean to be
defeatist. On the contrary, I think these statistics illustrate the great urgency
of this matter and of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill. Education policy can
dramatically turn around language decline, as recently shown with the Catalan
language in Catalonia and with the Inuit language in Greenland. In both cases
young speakers now outweigh old speakers, indicating that the languages are on
the increase. Mikael Grut (Member of the
Foundation for Endangered Languages) SUBMISSION
FROM HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ENTERPRISE Thank you for your letter of 17 December,
seeking HIE's comments on the general principles enshrined in the Gaelic Language
(Scotland) Bill. As the Government's economic and community development
agency for the Highlands and Islands, we very much welcome the tenor of the Bill
which seeks to give the Gaelic language equal esteem with English. Such action
would give the Gaelic community throughout Scotland a significant psychological
boost, since the language's current legal position is unclear and subject to varying
interpretations. This clarification will potentially offer the new Bòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba a sounder basis on which to develop its future work
in partnership with other organisations. We believe that Gaelic should be
regarded both as a national language of Scotland and as a national asset, capable
of much further development for the benefit of the nation as a whole. The division
of Scotland into a `Gaelic Zone' and a `Non-Gaelic Zone', proposed by the Bill,
would in our view be unhelpful to language restoration and development efforts.
While apparently justified on grounds of distribution of current Gaelic speech
communities, this approach takes no account of the growing percentage of Gaels
who live outside the proposed Gaelic Zone. City-based populations in particular
would be excluded under the Bill's provisions, and while it is recognised that
the zonation could be altered at some future date, it is more likely that inertia
would leave us with a `gaeltacht' model, similar to that long-established in the
Republic of Ireland. There are considerable doubts as to whether this approach
to minority language restoration has been, or ever will be, effective. The
proposed division of Scotland does seem somewhat arbitrary in any case, since
locations where Gaelic speech was native within living memory (such as Perthshire)
are excluded from the provisions of the Bill. Although some variation of requirement
could be applied to areas depending on their Gaelic tradition and prospective
needs, we believe that a bare minimum of duty should be imposed on some public
bodies throughout Scotland. Indeed in our own area, Shetland and Orkney present
a special case, since Gaelic was never native to these communities. However, around
200 Gaels, including children, were recorded as living there by the 1991 census
and basic provision would be required for this small population if sufficient
demand for educational support were to be demonstrated. Lastly, we consider
that the proposal to enforce the legislation through the Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman requires careful consideration, since a coercive approach runs the risk
of alienating people from different cultural traditions. Nevertheless, the legislation
will need to be supported by some formal mechanisms to ensure compliance, allied
to its prime enabling role of creating circumstances in which Gaelic can both
flourish and receive the national resources to allow it to do so. Sandy
Cumming Chief Executive Highlands
and Islands Enterprise SUBMISSION
FROM JACK KINAHAN 1 This Bill applies to 21 public services insofar as their
activities in specified localities are concerned. These services would be required
to adopt a variety of measures, which in sum, will oblige them, whenever possible,
to communicate in Gaelic with Gaelic speaking clientele. 2 This measure
should be supported. 3 In itself, the Bill constitutes a historical milestone.
In 700 years, it is the first piece of affirmative action legislation in favour
of Gaelic ever proposed for adoption within the Scottish Parliament. 4 Conversely,
the Bill runs counter to language legislation dating back to the early 17th
century, which was explicitly aimed at extirpating Gaelic by means of the education
system. By the time the Education Act of 1872, a stated anti-Gaelic policy was
no longer proclaimed. Such a policy was pursued nonetheless since this Act carried
on with the established practice of ensuring that Gaelic-speaking children were
taught principally through the medium of English. Despite improvements in favour
of Gaelic this very much remains the position. 5 The Bill is not concerned
with education as such. However its passage into law would signal that the administrative
convenience inherent in a policy of one official language is subordinate to the
right of Gaelic speakers to be heard and addressed in their own language, a right
which is automatically enjoyed by those brought up to speak in English. 6
The measures described in the Bill are directed to establishing language equality
practices within named public services. These services are part of what may be
termed the formal authority structure. An informal authority structure also exists
in the persons of landlords, bailiffs, solicitors and so forth. English has long
been the language used when Authority communicated with Gaelic speakers, simply
because, with rare exceptions, those in authority seldom attempted to learn Gaelic.
This can only have had detrimental effects on the perceived utility of Gaelic
outside the home environment, serving to encourage the use of English and at the
same time hindering the development of Gaelic in its spoken and written forms. 7
Today Gaelic annually attracts State funding to the tune of £15m, which is
allocated to education, broadcasting and various voluntary, Gaelic support organisations.
The greater part of education expenditure is devoted to salaries and teacher training,
without which Gaelic education, such as it is, could not exist. However, it has
to be said that English remains the dominant teaching language, the more so as
pupils progress through from primary to secondary levels. Textbook provision may
be improving but still remains far from comprehensive in subject range. Teachers
qualified to conduct classes in Gaelic continue to be in short supply. 8
In broadcasting coverage is also uneven. Against the odds BBC's Radio nan Gaidheal
now transmits some 60 hours a week, all but 4.5 hours of which can be heard Monday
to Friday. The combined output of the three main providers of television programmes
amounts to about 10 hours a week. The basis on which funding for these broadcasts
rests may be plausibly equitable but the fact remains that there is a large slice
of overall transmission time during which the Gaelic listener or viewer has no
option but to view or listen to English language broadcasts. 9 The outcome
is that despite state subsidy provision for Gaelic is patchy, leaving wide gaps
in which English language usage predominates. This again serves to downgrade Gaelic,
reducing the opportunities through which it can be learned, heard, written, or
spoken, in the classroom, in the home and elsewhere. In such an environment the
language becomes increasingly optional and disposable, a situation which the State
has helped to create and which it might reasonably be asked to redress. 10
The Bill cannot remedy these various shortcomings, nor does it seek to. However,
these same shortcomings confirm its importance. Parliament is now being given
the opportunity to compensate for State induced language loss. There is now the
possibility to create a `Gaelic friendly door', through which Gaelic speakers
can walk, confident in the knowledge that the public authorities will treat their
language with the same respect and regard which is shown to speakers of English. 11
The Bill implicitly recognises that Gaelic is at the stage where more than passive,
hands off forms of intervention are needed. It also recognises that helping Gaelic
is not principally the work of broadcasters and educationalists. It is an endeavour
which needs the help of organisations which have clients/customers residing in
the Gaelic speaking areas, if the language is to survive and flourish. The accession
of the public services to the programme described in the Bill would be a major
step in that direction. 12 It is appropriate to note Bord na Gaidhlig will
be established in the near future. This new body will have no powers and it appears
that its financial resources will be limited. In these circumstances, the Bord
stands in need additional legislative support if it is to ensure that Gaelic thrives
in the communities where it is spoken as the first language. As the Bill recognises,
that support should come from the public services which in a host of different
ways impact on the daily lives of people living in the Gaelic heartlands. Without
the powerful example and encouragement which these services can provide the Bord
will be severely handicapped in the performance of its allotted tasks. 13
It cannot be assumed that any one of the public services named in the Bill will
voluntarily adopt the proposed language support programmes. Each service has its
own specialised sphere of operation, its own financing and staffing difficulties.
They will not be easily persuaded to take on additional Gaelic language tasks
even if they are otherwise able to do so. Moreover what is adopted voluntarily
can be easily modified or or discarded at the first sign of financial stringency.
It follows therefore that the obligation to promote Gaelic within the public services
must be mandatory as the Bill proposes, if the work of the Bord na Gaidhlig is
to have any reasonable prospect for success. 14 Finally, it is worth bearing
in mind that for many years the State, in company with corporate and charitable
organisations, has devoted vast amounts of money and effort to the saving, preservation
and restoration of the buildings, artefacts and works of art which together are
regarded as Scotland's national heritage. The subjects of these endeavours are
invariably viewed as being irreplaceable. Few would deny that Gaelic, as Scotland's
oldest living language, is also part of that heritage. It certainly cannot be
replaced if it is lost. Sadly, however, it is also a heritage on which the State
itself has placed little value, a position which this Bill, in its own modest
way, seeks to rectify. SUBMISSION
FROM DESMOND LEO May I express my opinion on why the use of Gaelic should
be encouraged? I am not a Scot although I am studying Scottish Gaelic. I
was born and raised in England with no particular interest in Scotland originally. However,
since I began to study Gaelic as a hobby I've become much more interested in Scotland,
its geography, history, culture, personal ethos. For instance, to find out more
regarding the Highlands and Islands. I've got material from the web as well as
lessons in Gaelic where available. To be honest, my Gaelic is not very good,
but if it were I am sure I'd take even more interest in the ways and customs of
Gaels in Scotland. If a non Scot can be so impressed by the effects of contact
with Gaelic, surely Scots themselves should be eager too to promote their language. SUBMISSION
FROM THE REVEREND JOHN LINCOLN I would like to express my support for the
above Bill. Whilst not going as far as ensuring "secure status" for
the Gaelic language, I believe it is a step in the right direction. May
I remind the committee that once again the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
expressed its support for the Gaelic language. A deliverance was passed
last year (2002) which declared that the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
supported "the introduction of legislation to provide "secure status"
for the Gaelic language."See the report of the Church & Nation
Committee, and the Deliverances in the Supplementary Reports 2002 (page 11 - yellow
page section). Although I was not present at that Assembly, as a minister
of the Kirk, may I express my support of that decision of our General Assembly,
and remind the committee that many others who were not at the Assembly similarly
support its decisions. SUBMISSION FROM LOCHABER
GAELIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP Over the past 12 years, a small team of activists
- the Lochaber Development Group -has worked with the Highland Council to establish
a resurgence of Gaelic in Lochaber. During that time: 3 Gaelic Medium primary
units have been established in Acharacle, Morar and Fort William and a part-time
Gaelic Medium Education trial in Kilchoan Gaelic medium pre-school provision
has been provided in, Acharacle, Mallaig, and at 3 locations in the greater Fort
William area. Youth Groups (Sradagan) at 3 locations Very limited
Gaelic Medium secondary education is available at 3 of the 4 High Schools in Lochaber.
Gaelic Access courses are available through Lochaber College/Inverness
College and Sabhal Mor Ostaig. 3 Feisan are now well established, namely
Feis nan Garbh Chriochan (Acharacle), Feis Lochabair (Fort William) and Feis Eige
(Eigg). The key aim of the Lochaber Gaelic Development Group was to ensure
that over the past decade we would have as many people within Gaelic Medium education
(now 8 %) as were Gaelic speakers in the 1991 census (11%). We have not reached
the target, as Gaelic is only available at 3 of the 29 Primary Schools in Lochaber.
However we have ensured that there is sufficient young people who are now Gaelic
speakers to ensure that the language should survive in some of our communities.
Despite all of the above there are serious problems: Lack of Gaelic
Medium primary teachers. In 1992 there was sufficient demand in Lochaline for
a Gaelic Medium unit. It failed to open because there were no teachers available.
This shortage has continued throughout the past decade. Highland Council estimates
that there should be at least 30 primary teachers available each year as opposed
to the less than 20 undergoing training. The situation is desperate and a national
disgrace. This shortage of teachers results in the following:- Lack of supply
teachers - when the Gaelic Medium teacher is off because of sickness/training,
then their place is usually taken by an English Medium teacher. On one occasion
this has meant that of the then 3 classes in Fort William - all were being taught
through the medium of English. Lack of permanent teachers - this means
that last year in Morar a Gaelic Medium class had 3 teachers per school week -
1 for 2 days, another for 2 days and a 3rd for 1 day. Morar primary
school - as this includes pupils from Mallaig and Arisaig - has grown spectacularly
to 3 classes. One class is now receiving Gaelic Medium education with 2 weeks
Gaelic Medium and 2 weeks English. Hardly immersion! What should be a spectacular
success is proving seriously flawed Gaelic Medium education · This
means a lack of choice at appointments. · This means a serious lack
of learning and language support. · This means lack of support for
the preschool units. · No new units in Lochaber for 8 years, none in
Highland for 4 years despite clear demand. Pre school education - of the
29 primary schools in Lochaber, only 4 have Gaelic pre school education associated
with them. There is no Gaelic Childcare Training available despite years of pressure.
Several communities would wish to see Gaelic Medium pre school provision established
and others would wish to see a bi-lingual provision. Secondary education
- even worse. The new high school in Ardnamurchan should have at least 3 subjects
taught through the medium of Gaelic. Currently, only Gaelic is taught as a language
with some limited video conferencing in Geography. No other Gaelic secondary teachers
were available. Similar situations apply at the other 2 high schools. This is
totally unacceptable. What sort of message de we send to the Gaelic Medium primary
pupils who enter secondary education and find the provision so poor. There is
a complete dearth of Gaelic Medium secondary teachers and no training initiatives.
The solution to all of the above is provide incentives for people to enter
Gaelic Medium teacher training. It is also essential that they receive their probationary
year in appropriate Gaelic Medium units in the Highlands. Local teacher training
is essential and should be provided through the UHI via colleges such as Lochaber
College, Inverness College, Sabhal Mor Ostaig. Gaelic needs secure status
so that Gaelic Medium education can be provided, as a right, to those wishing
to receive it. In Lochaber, demand has been in the order of 50% (Acharacle) and
34% (Morar/Arisaig/Mallaig) which shows the level of demand when this provision
is available, even if people have to travel to other communities. We feel
that in the Highlands Gaelic Medium education should be available as the norm
for pre-school children. This will require a substantial increase in teacher training.
Gaelic Medium secondary education should be available for at least 50%
of the subjects in high schools receiving Gaelic Medium primary pupils. This will
require a very significant expansion of Gaelic Medium secondary teacher training.
(Currently almost nil). Need for a specific Gaelic capital budget for extending/new
schools to accommodate GMU's. Greater Fort William needs a separate Gaelic
Medium School. This is in the HC capital programme but with no specific funding
for this. Career Scotland needs to take action to promote careers in Gaelic
Medium education. Gaelic Resources - Modern books and learning materials
required to replace paste overs and photocopies, still widely in use. Signage
- a fiasco. A Scottish Office Minister of Transport in 1999 and a Scottish Executive
Minister for Transport in 2001 both signed orders allowing Gaelic Medium signs
to be erected in the Highlands on trunk roads. This order has been deliberately
obstructed by civil servants and we are now, yet again, trying to persuade the
Minister to give authority to the Highland Council, to allow Gaelic signage on
trunk roads. One example of this is that the Highland Council cannot erect the
sign Glen Nevis/Gleann Nibheis on the A82 in Fort William to indicate the presence
of Gleann Nibheis/Glen Nevis but has to erect Glen Nevis. This is the Anglicised
Phoneticised version of a Gaelic word and it sends a very negative signal to our
young pupils that they cannot see the proper Gaelic place name on official signage.
This stricture also applies to thistle signs which individual tourist operators
would wish to erect. We believe that areas such as the Highlands and Islands
should have all public signage in Gaelic/bi-lingual to create a very real sense
of place - for both locals and tourists. Economy - there is little of no
support for the Gaelic economy. We would like to see definite support for business
to promote Gaelic through signage, letterheads, leaflets etc. Need for
an expansion of Gaelic arts eg: poetry, literature, books, art - increased support
from SAC, for the Feisean. Tourism - vital to the Highland economy, needs
Host/Visit Scotland to realise and positively market Highland cultural tourism
(as the Irish do). Gaelic TV - needs to be directed to appropriate times
(not 3:00am) and to appropriate subjects - especially for children. This
Bill should apply as a priority to a specified geographic area including the Highlands
with the aim of including the rest of Scotland at an early stage **WE NEED
SERIOUS SUPPORT AND SECURE STATUS** Many of the proposals stated above require
financial support but these costs are minimal within the education budget, at
less than 1%. What is required is a fundamental change of attitude to Gaelic by
most of the organisations and agencies working in Scotland. Michael
Foxley Chairman Lochaber Gaelic
Development Group SUBMISSION FROM
S MACADHAIMH Bu mhath leam mo bheachd fhein a chur ris an rannsachadh mu
choinneamh bile Ghaidhlig. Mar chuidegin a tha an-sas ann am foghlam tro mheadhan
na Gaidhlig ann an Dun Eideann, se mo bheachd nach biodh bile a bhualadh air a'
Ghaidhealtachd agus na h-Eileanan a-mhain gu feum sam bith anns a bhith a' dion
no a' leasachadh coir na Gaidhlig ann an taobh deas na h-Alba. Se tha dhith
oirnn ach bile a bheireadh dion dha aite na Gaidhlig sa "Ghalltachd"
agus a dheanadh bunait sheasmhach airson togail air na th'againn mar-tha. S
MacAdhaimh Dun Eideann In English: I
would like to submit my personal view to add to the enquiry into the Gaelic Language
Bill. As someone who is involved in Gaelic-medium education in Edinburgh, I am
of the view that a bill applying to the Highlands and Islands alone would be of
no benefit in securing or developing the state of Gaelic in the south of Scotland. What
we need is a bill that would protect the place of Gaelic in the "Lowlands"
and would create a stable foundation to work from what we have at the moment.
S MacAdhaimh Edinburgh SUBMISSION
FROM RIDSEARD MACBHATAIR Ged a tha mi a' fuireach ann an Cuimbria air
taobh 'ceàrr' na chrìche tha mi air a bhith an sàs ann an
teagasg na Gàidhlig fad beagan bhliadhnaichean a-nis do ghrunnan Albannaich
is Sasannaich à Alba a deas agus Sasainn a tuath air feadh. 'S e tha buaileadh
orm an ìre de ùidh a tha aig daoine 'sna Crìochan anns a'
Ghàidhlig. Is mòr am beud nach eil tidsearan gu leòr ann
dhaibh 'san sgìre. Tha làn cinnt agam nan robh barrachd luchd-teagaisg
ann, gun deidheadh an àireamh de luchd-bruidinn an àirde. 'Se faoin-sgeul
a th' ann gur e Gàidhlig rud a bhuineas dhan taobh tuath a-mhàin
- tha an cànan a' buntainn do Alba gu lèir, an UK agus gu dearbh
dhan t-saoghail mhòr. Tha i na rud bòidheach a bheir cliù
mhòr do dh' Alba. Tha mi an dòchas gun toir am Bìle
feart dha na beachdan seo. In English: Although I live
in Cumbria on the 'wrong' side of the border I have taught Gaelic for some years
to groups of Scottish and English people from all over Southern Scotland and Northern
England. What has struck me is how hungry people are in the Borders for Gaelic.
The sad thing is that so few teachers exist in the area. I am convinced that were
there more, then the number of learners and speakers would increase. It is a myth
that interest in Gaelic is a Highland thing - the language belongs to all of Scotland,
the UK and indeed the world. It is a thing of great beauty and a huge asset to
Scotland. I hope that the Bill will take account of these opinions.
SUBMISSION FROM UILLEAM MACCALUIM/WILLIAM
MACCALUIM Is e seo mo fhreagairt dhan obair cho-chomhairle aig Camataidh
an Fhoghlaim, a' Chultair agus an Spors mu phrionnsabalan coitcheann Bile Canain
na Gaidhlig (Alba). Mar neach ionnsachaidh na Gaidhlig, bu mhath learn mo
Ian thaic a nochdadh da phriannsabalan coitcheann a' Bhile seo: gum bu choir co-iannanachd
a bhith aig a' Ghaidhlig agus aig a' Bheurla agus gum bu choir dleastanas laghail
a bhith air buidhnean pablach planaichean Gaidhlig a dhealbhadh agus a chur an
gnlamh. Dheanadh a' Bhile seo feum mor dhan choimhearsnachd Ghaidhlig agus
do leasachadh na Gaidhlig oir: (1) Bheireadh e cothrom da luchd labhairt
is do luchd ionnsachaidh na Gaidhlig abhith a' cleachdadh na canain ann a bhith
a' deiligeadh ri buidhnean poblach. Aig an am seo, 's e gle bheag de bhuidhnean
phoblach aig a bheil poileasaidh Gaidhlig agus mar is trice tha na poileasaidhean
Gaidhlig a tha ann gle lag (m.e Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd, Comhairle nan
Eilean Siar, SNH). Dh' atharraicheadh achd steidheachadh air a' bhile seo an suidheachadh
seo gu mor. Tha e deatamach airson ath-thilleadh gluasad canain (reversing language
shift) ann an Alba gum bi barrachd chothraman aig luchd labhairt na Gaidhlig
a' chanain a chleachdadh ann a bhith a' deiligeadh ri buidhnean poblach. (2)
Bheireadh e lomhaigh na Gaidhlig am follais barrachd -rud a tha air leth fhein
cudromach ann a bhith a' gleidheadh agus a' leasachadh na Gaidhlig. (3)
Bhiodh e na cheum a dh' ionnsaigh na molaidhean a tha anns an aithisg Inbhe Thearainte
dhan Ghaidhlig (Comunn na Gaidhlig, 1997) a mhol Achd Gaidhlig steidhichte air
Achd na Cuimris 1993. Tha taic laidir anns a' choimhearsnachd Ghaidhlig airson
mholaidhean na h-aithisg Inbhe Thearainte dhan Ghaidhlig. Ged nach eil Bile
Canain na Gaidhlig (Alba) idir cho laidir no cho farsaing ris an Achd Ghaidhlig
a tha coimhearsnachd na Gaidhlig ag iarraidh, bhiodh e a' cur cuid de na molaidhean
an gniomh agus mar sin, bu choir dhan Chomataidh agus dhan Pharlamaid taic a chumailris. Ged
a tha mo thaic ris a' bhile ann am prionnsabal ge-ta, tha mi fada den bheachd
gum bu choir dleastanasan laghail a bhith aig buidhnean poblach air feadh na h-Alba,
agus chan ann a-mhain air a' Ghaidhealtachd, poileasaidhean Gaidhlig a chur an
gniomh agus co-ionnanachd a thairt dhan da chanain. Tha cha mhor an darna leth
den luchd labhairt Gaidhlig agus corr is an darna leth den luchd ionnsachaidh
Gaidhlig a' fuireach taobh a-muigh an sgire a chaidh ainmeachadh anns a' Bhile.
Tha mu 10,000 mile neach labhairt Gaidhlig ann am Mor-Ghlaschu (greater Glasgow)
mar eisimpleir agus tha na miltean de luchd Gaidhlig a' fuireach ann an Dun Eideann
cuideachd. 'S e canain naiseanta a th' anns a' Ghaidhlig agus cha bhiodh e ceart
an duthaich agus a' choimhearsnachd Ghaidhlig a sgaradh le achd Ghaidhlig airson
na Gaidhealtachd a-mhain. Nam bheachd, cha ghabhadh a' choimhearsnachd Ghaidhlig
ri sgaradh mar seo. Tha mil an dochas gun teid atharrachaidhean a chur ris a'
bhile fhathast gus am bi e na bhile naiseanta. A dh' aindeoin an teagamh
seo, agus a dh' aindeoin 's gum bi atharrachaidhean a dhlth air a bhile, ge-ta,
tha mi an dochas gun toir Comataidh an Fhoghlaim, a' Chultair agus an Spors a
Ian thaic do phriannsabalan coitcheann a' bhile. Tha coimhearsnachd na Gaidhlig
air a bhith a' feitheimh ri achd Ghaidhlig fada ro fhada agus tha e cudromach
gum bi achd Ghaidhlig ann ron taghadh ann an 2003. Tha an Riaghaltas air a bhith
a' bruidhinn mu bhith "ag obair a dh' ionnsaigh" reachdas dhan Ghaidhlig
fad iomadh bliadhna. Tha Bhile Canain na Gaidhlig a-nis a' toirt cothrom dhan
Riaghaltas an gealladh seo a thoirt gu buill. Ma tha partaidhean an Riaghaltais
an da-rlribh mun ghealladh a rinn iad anns na manifestothan aca ann an 1999, bu
choir dhaibh taic a thoirt dhan Bhile seo. Mar a tha an gnathas-cainnt ag radh:
"'S e am beul a labhras, 's e an gnlomh a dhearbhas!" Tha mi an
dochas gum bi na beachdan sea feumail. In English: This is
my reply to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee's consultation regarding
the general principles of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill. As a learner
of Gaelic, I would like to give my full support to the general principles of this
Bill; that Gaelic and English should have equality and that there should be legal
obligations on public bodies to develop and implement Gaelic language plans. This
Bill would greatly assist the Gaelic community and the development of Gaelic as: It
would give speakers and learners of Gaelic the opportunity to use the language
in their dealings with public bodies. At this time, very few public bodies have
a Gaelic policy and very often the Gaelic policies that do exist are very weak
(e.g. The Highland Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, SNH). An Act based on this
Bill would greatly alter this situation. It is essential for the recovery of the
decline of the language in Scotland (reversing language shift) that more opportunities
exist for Gaelic speakers to use the language in their dealings with public bodies. It
would raise the profile of Gaelic much more - something that is extremely important
in the maintenance and development of Gaelic. It would be a step towards
the recommendations of the report Secure Status for Gaelic (Comunn na Gàidhlig
1997) that recommended a Gaelic Language Act based on the Welsh Language Act 1993.
The Gaelic community strongly support the recommendations of the report Secure
Status for Gaelic. Although the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill is not at all
as strong and as wide in scope as the Gaelic Act the Gaelic community are wanting,
it would implement some of the recommendations, and therefore, the Committee and
the Parliament should support it. Although I support the Bill in principle,
I am strongly of the view that there should be legal obligations on public bodies
throughout Scotland, and not just in the Highlands, to implement Gaelic policies
and to give equality to both languages. Almost half of the total number of Gaelic
speakers and more than half the number of Gaelic learners live outwith the area
specified in the Bill. There are around 10,000 Gaelic speakers in the Greater
Glasgow area, for example, and there are thousands of speakers in the Edinburgh
area as well. Gaelic is a national language and it would not be right to divide
the country and the Gaelic community with a Gaelic Act for the Highlands alone.
In my view, the Gaelic community would not approve of such a divide. I hope that
amendments can yet be made to the bill so that it becomes a national bill. Despite
this reservation, and despite the fact that the bill needs to be amended, I hope
that the Education, Culture and Sport Committee fully support the general principles
of the bill. The Gaelic community has been waiting for a Gaelic Language Act for
too long and it is important that a Gaelic Language Act is in place before the
election in 2003. The Executive have for many years been speaking of "working
towards" legislation for Gaelic. The Gaelic Language Bill now gives the Executive
the opportunity to give effect to this commitment. If the Executive parties are
genuine about the commitment they gave in their manifestos in 1999, they should
support this Bill. As the proverb says: " The mouth speaks, but the deed
proves!" I hope these views will be helpful. SUBMISSION
FROM ALLAN MACLEOD I would strongly urge support for this bill for the following
reasons 1 Gaelic is a language native to Scotland and this should be recognised.
The language should be treated as having equal legal status with English throughout
the nation. A Gaelic speaker should be entitled as of right to be dealt with in
his/her own language wherever this is reasonably feasible by law courts, public
bodies, and government. 2 Parents should have the right for their children
to be educated through the medium of Gaelic within a practicable travelling distance
of their homes where there is a reasonable minimum demand for such education.
All local authorities should be required to provide minimum facilities for learners,
and to foster the development of the language within their areas through Gaelic
medium playgroups, beginners and more advanced classes. 3 Gaelic opens the
door to a vast amount of culture, which is largely closed to non-speakers. An
objective must be the opening of this treasure trove up to non-speakers by means
of publicity, fostering of drama and literature, and providing access to the broadcast
media. With the advent of digital TV it is essential that at least one channel
be devoted to Gaelic with no diminution of the volume of broadcasting on
the mainstream channels. 4 Equal legal status is one major cornerstone of
the fight to preserve the Gaelic language. At present any advances in the language
are due to the hard work of a few and the goodwill of others. Were this goodwill
(in some cases merely sufferance) to disappear the lack of legal status would
mean the end of the language. Some of us remember being told off for using Gaelic
in the school playground. Without legal status these days could come back. SUBMISSION
FROM IAIN MACLEOID/JOHN MACLEOD Tha mi a' cur seo thugaibh mar fhreagairt
air cuireadh Chomataidh an Fhoghlaim, a' Chultair agus an Spòrs airson
beachdan mu phrionnsabalan coitcheann Bile Cànan na Gàidhlig (Alba)
bho dhuine sam bith aig a bheil ùidh ann. Tha mise air a bhith an
sàs gu saor-thoileach ann an obair leasachaidh na Gàidhlig fad iomadach
bliadhna agus mar a tha mòran eile de luchd-iomairt, tha mi gu math mì-thoilichte
leis cho leisg is slaodach is a tha an Riaghaltas agus Pàrlamaid na h-Alba
ann a bhith a' toirt fìor adhartas air an obair leasachaidh a tha a' Ghàidhlig
a' feumachdainn gus am bi i maireann agus fallainn mar chànan coimhearsnachd.
Tha greis bho bu chòir Bile Cànan na Gàidhlig a bhith air
a thoirt air adhart anns a' Phàrlamaid. Tha mi a' gabhail ri prionnsabalan
coitcheann a' Bhile seo agus a' tuigsinn seach gur e Bile Bhall a tha ann, nach
eil e comasach cumhachdan farsaing a bhith ann. Tha mi ag aontachadh leis an t-amas
stèidh cho-ionannachd a bhith ann a thaobh cànanan na Gàidhlig
agus na Beurla ann a bhith a' toirt seachad seirbheisean phoblach, agus gu bheil
e iomchaidh gum bi riatanas air buidhnean phoblach Planaichean Cànain Gàidhlig
fhoillseachadh agus a bhuileachadh. Tha e deatamach cur às don mhì-chinnt
a tha ann an dràsda mu inbhe na Gàidhlig. Tha mi eòlach air
suidheachadh anns an deach tagradh a-steach bho bhuidheann Gàidhlig chun
"New Opportunities Fund" a chaidh a dhiùltadh seach nach robh
inbhe oifigeil aig a' Ghàidhlig ann an Alba, mar a tha aig Cuimris anns
a' Chuimrigh, agus a dhaindeoin sin, tha Riaghaltas an UK air a bhith ag ràdh
o chionn iomadach bliadhna gu bheil "iomchaidheachd co-ionann aig a' Ghàidhlig
agus a' Bheurla". Bu chòir don Phàrlamaid an t-suidheachadh
seo a shoilleireachadh. Cha bhiodh e idir ceart a bhith a' cuingealachadh
farsaingeachd a' Bhile mar a tha e air a mholadh airson Earrann 1 (Planaichean
Cànain Gàidhlig) gus nach bi seo a' buntainn ach ri sgìrean
ùghdarrais na Gàidhealtachd, na h-Eileanan an Iar, agus pàirt
de Earra Ghàidheal agus Bhòid. Tha a' Ghàidhlig na cànan
a tha iomchaidh agus air a cleachdadh, gu ìre bheag no mhòr, air
feadh na h-Alba. Tha i na prìomh phàirt den dualchas nàiseanta
againn, tha luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig a' fuireach anns a h-uile pàirt
den dùthaich agus earrann mhòr dhiubh taobh a-muigh na Gàidhealtachd,
anns na bailtean mòra mar a tha mi fhìn. Chan eil e ceart gum biodh
reachdas a tha an t-amas taic a thoirt dhan chànain a bhith ag adhbharachadh
sgaraidhean mar seo taobh a-staigh coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig. Bu
chòir an cothrom seo a ghabhail stèidh reachdail a thoirt do Bhòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba gus am bi ùghdarras fon lagh aca airson Plana
Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig a leasachadh. Tha mi a' moladh gum
bu chòir a' Chomataidh am Bile atharrachadh gus na riatanasan a tha innte
a leudachadh air feadh na h-Alba, taic fhaighinn bhon Riaghaltas airson gealltanas
maoineachaidh iomchaidh a thoirt seachad, an cothrom a ghabhail foghlam tro mheadhan
na Gàidhlig a leudachadh, agus stèidh reachdail a chur don Bhile
airson uallach Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba. Iain Macleòid In
English: This is my response to the invitation from the Education,
Culture and Sport Committee for views on the general principles of the Gaelic
Language (Scotland) Bill to be submitted by any person with an interest in it.
I have been involved in Gaelic development on a voluntary basis over many
years and like many other activists, am very frustrated with the reluctance and
slowness with which the Executive and the Scottish Parliament are dealing with
any real progress in the developments that the Gaelic language requires to ensure
it survives and prospers as a community language. A Gaelic Language Bill should
have been introduced in Parliament a long time ago. I agree with the general
principles of this Bill and appreciate that as it is merely a Member's Bill, it
is of necessity limited in its scope. I support the intention to establish a basis
of equality between Gaelic and English in the delivery of public services, and
welcome the proposal to impose a requirement on public bodies to prepare, publish
and implement Gaelic Language Plans. Legislation needs to remove the current confusion
as to the status of Gaelic. I am aware of an instance where a lottery application
was submitted from a Gaelic organisation to the New Opportunities Fund but was
refused because Gaelic does not have official status in Scotland, unlike Welsh
in Wales, and yet the UK Government has stated for many years that Gaelic "enjoys
equal validity with English." Parliament should ensure that this position
is clarified. It would not be right to limit the scope of the Bill as is
recommended for Section 1 (Gaelic Language Plans) to apply solely to the local
government areas of Highland, Western Isles and part of Argyll and Bute. Gaelic
is a language that is appropriate and is used to varying extents, throughout Scotland.
It is a key part of our national heritage, Gaelic speakers and supporters live
in all areas of the country, and in fact a very large proportion of the total
number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland reside outwith the Highlands and Islands
areas. Legislation aimed at supporting the language must not have the effect
of creating divisions within the Gaelic community. This legislative opportunity
should be used to give a statutory foundation to Bòrd Gàidhlig na
h-Alba so that it can function with the necessary authority to develop the National
Plan for Gaelic. I recommend to the committee that this Bill is amended
to extend its provisions throughout Scotland, seeking Executive approval for the
necessary funding commitment and to take the opportunity to further develop Gaelic-medium
education, and to include a statutory basis for the remit given to Bòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba. SUBMISSION FROM
NIALL MACRATH Tha mi a' sgrìobhadh mo bheachdan air Bile Cànan
na Gàidhlig (Alba), bhon a tha mi a' creidsinn gu bheil a' Chomataidh ag
arraidh fianais. Tha e math gu bheil cuideigin a' feuchainn ri tomhas de
dh' inbhe thèarainte a thoirt dhan chànan mu dheireadh thall, ach
chan eil Bile Watson na dòigh ceart seo a dhèanamh. Mar a thuigeas
mise am bile, tha e a' moladh riaghailtean eadar-dhealaichte do Ghàidhealtachd
na h-Alba air an darna taobh, agus don Ghalltachd air an taobh eile. Mar eisimpleir,
ma 's math mo thuigse, bidh aig ughdarrasan ionadail na Gàidhealtachd foghlam
tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a thabhann do chlann far a bheil iarrtas ann bhon
pàrantan, ach cha bhith aig ughdarrasan ionadail anns a' Ghalltachd seo
a dhèanamh (ach gu saor-thoilichte). Mar sin, thèid Alba a roinn
ann an dà phàirt agus chan eil seo math neo fallain dhan chànan
neo dhan duthaich air fad. Chan aithnedhomh neach-taic sam bith dhan chànan
a tha a' smaoineachadh gur e rud math a bhios ann an seo. Cuideachd, tha amharras
agam nach eil dòigh ann gun soirbhich am bile seo, seach gur e bile prìobhaideach
a th' ann. Seo an t-slìghe air adhart: bu choir dha Riaghaltas na h-Alba
fhèin gabhail ri na molaidhean uile a fhuair iad san Aithisg aig an Ard-Ollamh
Meek a thàinig a-mach sa Chèitean (Buidheann Comhairleachaidh an
Riaghaltais air Gàidhlig). 'S e a' chiad mholadh san Aithisg gum bu choir
dhan Riaghaltas inbhe thearainte (le foghlam tro meadhan na Gàidhlig na
cois) a thoirt dhan Ghàidhlig gun dàil, agus air feadh Alba. Carson
a tha sinn fhathast a' feitheamh ris an Riaghaltas, agus molaidhean na h-Aithisg
cho soilleir? Sin a' cheist! Niall MacRath BVM&S, Cert VA, MRCVS In
English I am submitting my views on the Gaelic Language (Scotland)
Bill, as I believe the Committee wish to receive evidence. It is commendable
that at last someone is trying to give a degree of secure status to the language,
but Watson's (?) Bill is not the right way to do so. As I understand the bill,
it recommends different requirements for the Scottish Highlands on the one hand,
and for the Lowlands on the other. For example, if I understand this correctly,
Highland education authorities will have to provide Gaelic-medium education to
children where there is parental demand, but local authorities in the Lowlands
will not be so obliged (except voluntarily). Accordingly, Scotland will be split
into two and that is not good or healthy for the language throughout the country.
I do not know any supporter of the language who thinks that this will be a good
thing. Also, I suspect that there is no way that this bill will succeed,
as it is a private bill. The way forward is as follows: the Scottish Executive
themselves should accept the recommendations they got in Professor Meek's report
which was published in May (Ministerial Advisory Group on Gaelic). The first recommendation
in the report was that the Executive should give Gaelic secure status (including
Gaelic-medium education) without delay, and throughout Scotland. Why are
we still waiting for the Executive to act, when the recommendations of the Report
are so clear? That's the big question! SUBMISSION
FROM DOREEN MAIR Further to the call for evidence on the Gaelic Language
(Scotland) Bill. Whilst I am not totally conversant with the detail of the Bill.
I would like to suggest that whilst recognising the need for an equality between
the use of Gaelic and English and the importance of preserving and where necessary
reviving an interest in Gaelic as part of our heritage. I would hope that this
could be seen as part of a more overarching Language Policy for Scotland and whilst
you will be conversant with the Scottish CILT report Language and Literacy Policy
in Scotland by Joseph Lo Bianco I think this approach is very well summed up in
the 4 pages of key arguments in the report. Therefore I welcome the support
for Gaelic but would urge the Parliament to press for an overall Language Policy
which will embrace our heritage as well as recognising changes and encompass British
Sign Language used by many Scots as well as community languages and Scots. Doreen
Mair Director Scottish Association
of Sign Language Interpreters SUBMISSION
FROM GILLY MITCHELL I am writing in support of the Gaelic Language (Scotland)
Bill. My children are being educated by our local authority, Argyll and
Bute Council, through the medium of the Gaelic language which is only given on
the Island of Islay in Bowmore. This is not my local primary school and
therefore has entailed costs to our family far beyond that which would have been
incurred had my children been educated in Gaelic or English at our local primary
school in Port Ellen. Loss of this primary education in school year 2000-01
(resumed Aug 01) engendered involvement to understand the causes and to minimalise
the effects on the children of their insecurely founded education. Support
is given pasting-up English texts and raising funds to pay for translating core
texts required by the Nursery and Primary Gaelic Units in Bowmore. Prudent
housekeeping and a receptive attitude `at home' has meant these real distances
and difficulties have been minimised leaving our two sons and their young sister
thinking it quite natural to think, speak and work in two languages. Our eldest
of 8-years is now readily absorbing French. When older they may not be fully
aware of all the cost and effort involved that they be educated in Gaelic, or
recognise those who costed and brought about official recognition of the language. Norway,
New Zealand, Ireland and Wales have shown where political will dictated, Language
Acts, to officially recognise and support their indigenous languages, came into
being. Notwithstanding the given constraints of budget and political will,
I ask that the Education, Culture and Sport committee of the Scottish Parliament
support the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill. SUBMISSION
FROM IAN MITCHELL Having spent many years in pre-democratic South Africa,
where one minority language (Afrikaans) was given institutional protection while
others (the Bantu languages) were not, I have seen at close quarters just what
an important role public policy can play in the evolution of local languages.
As a non-Gaelic-speaking Scot with two sons in Gaelic-medium education, I am acutely
aware of the similarities between that situation and the one which obtains in
this country today. It is high time that Scotland tried to catch up with South
Africa and end all discrimination on grounds of language. The main argument
which I see being advanced by those in Scottish public life who wish to circumscribe
Gaelic is that there is little demand for it. This may be true up to a point,
at least in comparison with English. However it is a false argument. Demand for
cultural amenities is always elastic to a certain extent, and that extent in this
case is partly the will of the Gaelic-speaking community (a private matter which
legislation cannot influence) and partly the tolerance of the English speaking
administration (a public matter which legislation can). It is up to the parliament
of this country to remove any barriers to the free use of what is, after all,
the native language of much of Scotland. I do not argue for artificial protection
for Gaelic, but for a situation in which it is as easy to be a Gaelophone Scot
as an Anglophone one - or at least that it is not, in matters of official business,
significantly more awkward to use Gaelic than English. I recall that in
the 1960s the proponents of apartheid used to argue against allowing non-Europeans
to vote on the ground that there was no demand for democracy. "The Zulus
don't even have a word in their language for voting," Afrikaners (not infrequently
with names like MacDonald) would tell you. "So we should not impose our political
culture on them." A friend of mine once replied to such a person that
it was also true that there was no word in Zulu for haemorrhoids, and that by
the "voting" argument this fact would constitute justification for imposing
on all white people a lifetime of manual labour and a diet of mealie porridge
and "boys meat". That was not an argument which found much favour
with Afrikaners then. Neither should the argument which some Scots make today
that because Gaelic-speakers are seldom heard they should be bullied into silence
(for example, by starving Gaelic-medium education of necessary funds). It
is high time that our legislators abandon linguistic discrimination and try to
help a beautiful-sounding language and a fascinating cultural tradition to flourish
and grow. If devolution means anything at all, it surely implies diversity. I
would be grateful if you could put these points to the committee. SUBMISSION
FROM NHS WESTERN ISLES Bu chòir fàilte a chur air foillseachadh
a' Bhile agus air a' chothrom a tha e a' toirt do bhuidhnean a bhith a' deasbad
air inbhe na Gàidhlige ann an Albainn. 1. Tha BSES air a bhith a'
brosnachadh cleachdadh na Gàidhlige an lùib obair a' Bhùird
sna cùisean a leanas: Eisimpleirean: Misneachadh luchd-obrach
a bhith a' cleachdadh na Gàidhlige, gu h-àraidh ann an nursadh agus
ann an cùram sheann daoine. Stuth-sgrìobhaidh dà-chànanach,
litreachas agus soidhnichean Mar aon den bheagan de na NDPB ann an Albainn
a tha a' cleachdadh na Gàidhlige gu bitheanta agus mar phàirt nàdarra
de ar seirbheisean ann an ospadail, nar seirbheisean nursaidh sgìreil,
Seirbheis Tadhal Slàinteil, OT etc, tha sinn a' cur làn-thaic ri
prionnsabalan a' Bhile ann a bhith ag amas air inbhe thèarainnte a chosnadh
don Ghàidhlig air feadh na h-Alba. Tha sinn mothachail gu bheil Bòrd
Gàidhlig na h-Alba a-nis stèidhichte agus gum bi e a' coinneachadh
airson a' chiad uair Dihaoine 17 Faoilleach. Bidh e mar dhleastanas air a' Bhòrd
a bhith a' cur mholaidhean Aithisg Mheek an cèill. Tha aon de na molaidhean
sin (Moladh 4 td. 7) ag ràdh "gu feum Bòrd Gàidhlig
na h-Alba cumhachd a bhith aige gus plana nàiseanta don Ghàdihlig
a dheilbh, agus gus agradh air buidhnean poblach eile co-obrachadh leotha san
iomairt sin. Feumaidh taic ùr shusbainteach a bhith ann dhan Bhòrd
no cha bhi e comasach air a chuid amasan agus na nithean a thathas a' meas prìomhail
a thoirt gu buil." Tha sinn a' creidsinn gum bu chòir Bile na
Gàidhlig (Alba) a bhith air a chleachdadh mar chothrom gus cumhachd a thoirt
do Bhòrd na Gàidhlige, ag obair ann an lùib bhuidhnean poblach
mar ùghdarrasan ionadail agus Bùird Slàinte, gus planaichean
iomchaidh ullachadh agus an cur an gnìomh nan roinnean fa-leth. Mar sin
cha leigeadh a leas Ombudsman nan Seirbheis Poblach a bhith an sàs ann
an cùisean idir. In English I refer to your letter
of 17.12.02 regarding the above Bill, please note the response of NHS Western
Isles as follows: NHS Western Isles welcomes the publication of the Bill
and the opportunity it gives the various interested organisations to debate the
place of Gaelic in Scotland. The Board has been involved in promoting Gaelic within
its work in the following areas, for example: · The encouragement of
the use of the language by staff especially in nursing and care of the Elderly; ·
Bilingual stationery, literature and signage. As one of the few NDPB's in
Scotland which uses the Gaelic language as a normal and natural part of our service
delivery in hospitals, district nursing services, Health Visiting, OT etc we fully
support the principles of the Bill, in its aim of granting secure status for Gaelic
throughout Scotland. We note that Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba
has now been established and will be meeting for the first time on Friday 17th
January. The Bòrd will be responsible for implementing the recommendations
of the Meek Report. One of these recommendations (Recommendation 4 page 7) states
that "Bòrd Gaidhlig na h-Alba must have powers to plan for Gaelic
nationally and to required other public bodies to work with it in that process.
There must be substantial new resources for the Bòrd or it will not be
able to deliver on its objectives and priorities". We believe that
the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill should be used as an opportunity to give powers
to Bòrd na Gàidhlig working in conjunction with public bodies such
as local authorities and Health Boards to prepare and implement relevant plans
for Gaelic within their respective areas. This would obviate the need for any
involvement by the Public Service Ombudsman. Murdo MacLennan Chief
Executive The publication of this Bill should be welcomed in addition
to the opportunity it gives to organisations to debate the status of Gaelic in
Scotland. BSES have been promoting the use of Gaelic in relation to the
work of the Board in the following areas: Examples: Encouraging staff
to use Gaelic, especially in the fields of nursing and elderly care. Bilingual
publications, literature and signage As one of the few NDPB's in Scotland
who use Gaelic regularly and as a normal part of their service in a hospital,
in the district nursing service, Health Visiting Service, OT etc., we fully support
the principles of this Bill in its effort to achieve secure status for Gaelic
throughout Scotland. We are aware that Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba
have now been established and that it expects to meet for the first time on Friday
17th January. One of the Bòrd's functions will be to give effect
to the Meek Report's recommendations. One of these recommendations (Rec. 4 - P.
7) states " that Bòrd na Gàidhlig must have powers to plan
for Gaelic nationally, and to require other public sector bodies to work with
it in that process, There must be substantial new resources for the Bòrd
or it will not be able to deliver on its objectives and priorities." We
believe that the opportunity should be taken via the Gaelic Language (Scotland)
Bill to give authority to Bòrd na Gàidhlig, working in conjunction
with public bodies such as local authorities and Health Boards, to develop appropriate
plans and to implement these in their own areas. In such cases, there would not
be a need for the Public Service Ombudsman to be involved at all. SUBMISSION
FROM MAIREAD NICEACHARN Oifigear Leasachaidh na Gàidhlig Tha
na beachdan a leanas pearsanta, agus chan iad poileasaidh na Comhairle. Bu
chòir Inbhe Thèarainte a bhith aig a' Ghàidhlig. Tha
reachdas cainnte fìor bhunaiteach ma bhios Gàidhlig dol a mhairsinn.
Tha e soirbh a dh'fhaicinn nach tig leasachadh sam bith fhad's a bhios buidhnean
poblach a' coimhead air Gàidhlig mar rud eigin saor-thoileach nach bi a'
bointinn don obair aca. Feumar a cleachdadh ann an suidheachaidhean foirmeil mus
tig i faisg air inbhe na Beurla, agus cha tachair seo gun uallach laghail. Tha
Achd Ghàidhlig cho cudromach gun e dleastanas an Riaghaltais an th' ann
bile a chur air adhart. Cha bu choir don dleastanas a bhith air fhàgail
air aon BPA a chionn `s nach tèid aig bile den t-seòrsa seo a bhith
farsaing gu leòr, a dh'aindheòin cho ionmholta `s a tha an oidhirp. `S
e cainnt nàiseanta a th' anns a' Ghàidhlig, agus mar sin tha e reusanta
gum bi uallach air a h-uile buidhinn phoblaich air feadh na dùthcha. Chan
fheum seo a bhith aig an aon ìre no meud, no tòiseachadh aig an
aon àm anns gach sgìre, ach tha cunnart ann ma bhios Achd a' bualadh
dìreach air a' Ghàidhealtachd. Mura feum ùghdarrasan no buidhnean
poblach sa' Ghalldachd gnothach a ghabhail ri Achd Gàidhlig, dh'fhaodadh
sin rudan a chur air ais an sin agus stad a chur air adhartas sam bith. Daingichidh
e a' bheachd nach eil àite aig a' Ghàidhlig am meadhan na h-Alba
agus nach bu choir a bhith. Tha e iomchaidh gum bi an t-Ombudsman a' dèiligeadh
ri bristeaidhean Planaichean Ghàidhlig, ach bitheadh e na b' fheàrr
nam bitheadh comas aige/aice smachd-bhannan ionmhasail a chur. In English Gaelic
Development Officer The following views are personal, and are not the policy
of the Council. Gaelic should have secure Status. Language legislation
is fundamental if Gaelic is to survive. It is most evident that there will be
no progress as long as public bodies look on Gaelic as something of a voluntary
nature that does not affect their work. It must be used in formal situations before
it can have anything near the status of English, and this will not happen without
a legal obligation. A Gaelic Act is so vital that it is the Executive's
responsibility to introduce such a bill. This responsibility should not be left
to one MSP as such a bill cannot have the necessary widespread effect, no matter
how commendable the effort. Gaelic is a national language, and accordingly
it is reasonable that every public body in the country should have a responsibility
for it. This does not need to be at the same level or to the same extent, nor
does it need to take effect at the same time in every area, but there is a danger
if the Act only applies to the Highlands. Unless authorities and public bodies
in the Lowlands are required to comply with a Gaelic Act, that could put an end
to activity in that area and stop any progress whatsoever. It would reinforce
the view that Gaelic does not have a place in the Central Scotland area, and that
it should not have. It is appropriate that the Ombudsman should deal with
breaches of the requirement for Gaelic Plans, but it would be preferable that
he/she had the authority to impose financial sanctions. SUBMISSION
FROM NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL Thank you for your letter of 11 December inviting
North Ayrshire Council to give oral evidence at the meeting of the Education,
Culture and Sport Committee on 17 December. Unfortunately, North Ayrshire Council
will be unable to attend on the 17th. I am attaching a copy of an earlier
report of North Ayrshire Council's Educational Services Committee dated 19 February
2002 on the subject of a Gaelic Language Bill. Of particular relevance in this
instance is Section 4 - Gaelic Language Bill. The Council has no further
comment to make on the situation at the moment but you may wish to draw the Committee's
attention to our previously stated position. The Council through its Development
and Promotion Service was closely involved in supporting all matters relating
to the recent Mod in Largs. The Council is also more than willing to consider
any other areas where Gaelic might be pro | 