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Seasann na grúpaí pobalbhunaithe Gaeilge in éadan na ciorruithe maoinithe molta

Seasann na grúpaí pobalbhunaithe Gaeilge in éadan na ciorruithe maoinithe molta

Tháinig Grúpaí poblbhunaithe Gaeilge amach go láidir in éadan moltaí úra maoinithe na moltaí nua atá Foras na Gaeilge ag tarraingt anuas trí chomhairliúchán maidir le Scéim Phobal Ghaeilge.

Caption being sent in by FeargalMolann an comhairliúchan athrú ó mhaoiniú a thabhairt do ghrúpaí teanga bunaithe ar éileamh agus ar thoilleadh chun ‘raon cothrom geagrafach’ acmhainní a chinntiú. Meastar go bhfuil an bhunscéim barrthábhachtach leis an phobal Gaeilge sa Tuaisceart a chothú, in éagmais creatlaí reachtaíochta.

Bhí an chéad scéim mhaoinithe, a thosaigh in 2005, an-rathúil maidir le tacaíocht a thabhairt do na pobail Gaeilge atá ag dul i méid agus thacaigh sí le mogalra láidir grúpaí pobail beoga agus torthúla i roinnt ceantar is mó díothaí sa Tuaisceart. Tá 19 grúpa á maoiniú faoin scéim seo ar fud an oileáin agus tá 11 díobh seo lonnaithe sa Tuaisceart, 5 acu seo I mBéal Feirste féin.

In áit an maoiniu a dháileadh ar bhonn éilimh, molann Foras na Gaeilge go gcuifear teorainn ar an líon oifigeach teanga go hoifigeach amháin nó dhó an Contae. Is é an toradh ar seo go mbogtar oifigigh teanga ó cheantair a bhfuil móréileamh agus Gaelphobail bhríomhara. Má chuirfear na moltaí seo i bhfeidhm, díchobhsóidh sé mogalra an phobail Ghaeilge agus cuirfidh siad an fhorbairt i gceantair aitheanta i mbaol agus caillfidh trí ón chúig ghrúpa feirsteacha a gcuid maoinithe.

If fóram ionadaíoch é Fóram nan Gael do grúpaí loganta Gaeilge sa cháthair a eascaíonn comhoibrithe agus comhphairtíochta do ghrúpaí a oibríonn ar an talamh, leo siúd maoinithe ag scéim an fhorais san aireamh. Is iad Ionad Uibh Eachach ó Bhothar na bhFál, Glór na Móna as Uachtar Chluanaí, Cumann Culturtha Mhic Reachtain as Bóthar Aontroma, An Droichead ó Bhóthar Ormeau agus Croí Éanna in Gleann Gormliathe atá maoinithe fán scéim in mórcheantar Bhéal Feirste.

Ag labhairt do thar cheann an Fhóráim, dúirt oifigeach forbartha Ionad Uibh Éachach, Diarmuid Breasláin, :

‘Tá muid fíorbhuíoch do na hionadaithe óna páirtithe polaitiúla eagsúla sa chathair atá ag seasamh gualann ar gualainn linn inniú le gúth aontaithe ar son cosaint ceart do infrastructúir pobalbhunaithe Gaeilge s’againn. Is moltaí ard-riosca iad seo ón Fhoras a mholann príochachtú a dhéanamh ar ‘forleathach geagrafach’ seachas dáileadh maoinithe bunaithe ar éileamh agus riachtanais ar an talamh, agus ní dhéanann seo ciall praticiúil ar bith.’

Má chuirfear na moltaí seo i bhfeidhm, gearrfaidh sé pionós ar ghrúpaí as bheith éifeachtach agus an-eagraithe agus bainfear maoiniú ar shiúl ó cheantair a bhfuil infrastruchtúr pobail rathúil acu agus tabharfar é do cheantair nach bhfuil riachtanas soiléir ann. bainfidh siad na cosa ón phobal Gaeilge pobalbhunaithe sa Tuaisceart a bhí ag forbairt le breis an 40 bliain anuas gan mórán tacaíochta reachtúla. Tá an athbheochan pobalbhunaithe Gaeilge I mBéal Feirste ina eiseamláir luachmhar don chuid eile don tír agus d’fhéadfaí na moltaí seo damaiste mór a dhéanamh air sin. Glaíonn muid ar Foras na Gaeilge agus iad siúd le cumhacht agus tionchar, chun an bhunsamhail riachtanas-bhunaithe, a chinntíonn torthaí ar an talamh, a choinneáil agus a fhorbairt

Dúirt ball Tíonól Shinn Féin in Iarthar Bhéal Feirste (CTR) agus Urlabhraí Gaeilge an Pháirtí, Rosie McCorley,  ‘Ba mhaith liom mo thacaíocht iomlán a leiriú do ghrúpaí Gaeilge ar fud na cathrach agus ar feadh an tuaiscirt araon, ach go háirithe in mo thoghcheantar in Iathar Bhéal Feirste, áit a d’oibir gníomhairí ó dhúbh go dubh thar na blianta chun an teanga a fhorbairt agus a chur chun cinn. Foinsí spreagtha atá iontú do Ghaeilgeoirí ar fud oileáin na hÉireann.

‘Bheadh sé tubaisteach ar fad do phobal na Gaeilge I gcoitinne dá mbá gcuirfeadh an mhaoiniú seo a chur I mbaol agus bhainfeadh sé acmhainn luachmhar uathú siúd a bhíonn an streachailt go laethúil in aghaidh an tsrútha chun an teanga a choinneáil beo agus faoi bhláth.

‘Tá taifead dosháraithe ag Sinn Féin maidir le tacacíocht a léiriú don teanga in gach gné don saol agus is ar an bhonn seo a n-iarann muid ar Foras na Gaeilge fail réitigh do na pleananna s’acu le haghaidh maoiniú a dháileadh fríd cur chuige geagrafach. Ina n-áit, iarrann muid orthu iarratais a mheas bunaithe ar riachtanais agus éileamh comh maith le pleanáil teanga cuí.’

 

Duirt CTR áitiúil an SDLP Alex Attwood, agus comhairleoir Iarthar Bhéal Feirste Tim Attwood, ‘tá beocht na ngrúpaí Gaeilge i mBéal Feirste ag fás agus ag fás ó thaobh tionchar de. Níl ciall ar bith leis an chur chuige seo ag Foras na Gaeilge/DCAL, déanfaidh sé damaiste don rud atá fiúntach agus dochar mór sa deireadh. Is léir go bhfuil athmhachnamh práinneach ag teastáil.

 

Tháinig tacaíocht fosta ó chomhairleoir de chuid People before Profit councillor, Gerry Carroll a dúirt:

“Ba chóir d’Fhoras na Gaeilge athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar na moltaí seo. Tá cuid grúpaí a bhfuil an buairimh orthu go gcaillfear a gcuid maoinithe; eagraíochtaí atá lonnaithe sna ceantair is boichte sa tuaisceart. Is sna bardaí sin ina bhfuil an líon is airde de chainteoirí Gaeilge taobh amuigh de na ceantair Ghaeltachta. Fágann sin an cheist i measc na gcainteoirí Gaeilge, an bhfuil an moladh seo bunaithe ar chomhionannas geografach nó ar ‘ardnósachas’ geografach? Is cinnte gurb iad cainteoirí Gaeilge an lucht oibre a bheas thíos leis an mholadh seo. Seasaim leo agus iad ag iarraidh dúshlán a chur roimhe seo. Déanfaidh mé mo sheacht ndícheall le cuidiú leo.”

“Tá mé thar a bheith buartha faoi thionchar na gciorruithe molta seo. Tá pobal na Gaeilge i mBéal Feirste ag dul ó neart go neart agus feicim an fhorbairt seo go rialta i mo thoghcheantar féin in Iarthar Bhéal Feirste. Tá an Cheathrú Ghaeltachta i gcroí-lár an phobail seo, gan trácht ar an ardú ar líon na ndaltaí a fhreastalaíonn ar bhunscoileanna Gaeilge atá ag múnlú na forbartha sin.

‘Sa bhreis air sin, tá Coláiste Feirste, an mheánscoil neamhspleách is mó fás trí mheán na Gaeilge in Éirinn, atá faoi fhorleathnú ollmhór le freastal ar bhorradh na Gaelscolaíochta. I láthair na huaire agus níos mó áiseanna a dhíobháil ar an phobal seo, tá sé ar intinn ag Foras na Gaeilge na háiseanna cuí atá ann cheana féin a ghearradh. ? An t-aon chomhsheasmhacht atá i bpolasaithe Fhoras na Gaeilge ná an tiomantas chun maoiniú a bhaint ón tuaisceart; Iarthar Bhéal Feirste ach go háirithe.

Dhruid comhairliúchán Foras na Gaeilge ar an Luan 24 Samhain agus tugadh síneadh ama to na grúpaí reatha go dtí Lúnasa 2015, agus na haighneachtaí comhairliúcháin faoi chaibideál. Leanfaidh feachtasaíocht agus stocaireacht sna míonna amach romhainn.

 

Le haghaidh tuilleadh eolais, dean teagmháil le : Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh from Foram na nGael on feargal@forbairtfeirste.com 07841101630

Belfast language groups stands against damaging funding cut proposals

Community-based  Irish language groups in Belfast have come out strongly against new funding proposals being brought forward by state-body Foras na Gaeilge in its in consultation in respect of the ‘Irish language in the community’ funding scheme (Scéim Phobal Ghaeilge).

The consultation proposes a shift from funding language groups based on demand and capacity to ensuring ‘an evenCaption being sent in by Feargal geographical spread’ of resources. The original scheme is considered vital to sustain the Irish language community in the North, in the absence of a legislative framework and protection.

The original funding scheme, which commenced in 2005 has been extremely successful in providing support to growing Irish language communities and underpins a strong network of vibrant and productive community groups in some of the most deprived areas of the North. There are 19 groups funded under this scheme across Ireland, 11 of which are in the North with five in the city of Belfast.

Instead of allocating funding on that basis of demand, it is proposed by Foras na Gaeilge that language officers will be limited to one or two per County, resulting in language officers being moved away from areas of high demand with vibrant language communities. The proposals, if implemented, will destabilise the Irish language community network and result in three of the five Belfast groups losing their funding.

Fóram na nGael is a representative forum for locally based language groups in the city who facilitate co-operation and partnership for groups working at grass roots level, including those funded under the Foras scheme. Ionad Uibh Eachach from the Falls Road, Glór na Móna in the Upper Springfield area, Cumann Culturtha Mhic Reachtain on the Antrim Road, An Droichead on the Ormeau Road and Croí Éanna in Glengormley make up the groups funded under the scheme in the Greater Belfast area.

Speaking on behalf of the Forum, Diarmuid Breasláin, development worker with Ionad Uibh Éachach, said,

‘We are grateful to various reps from the political parties in the city who are standing shoulder to shoulder with us today with a united voice in favour retaining our community based language infrastructure in Belfast. The Foras na Gaeilge consultation proposals which aim to prioritise ‘geographical spread’ in allocating community funding instead of demand and need on the ground is high-risk and makes no practical sense whatsoever.

‘If the proposals are implemented, it will penalise groups for being effective and well-organised and redirect funding away from areas that have built a successful community infrastructure. This could pull the rug out from under the community-based Irish language community in the North that has been built up over 40 years with very little statutory support. The Belfast language community revival, has been a shining light for the rest of the country in this regard and could be severely damaged by these proposals. We call on Foras na Gaeilge and those with power and influence, to retain and expand on the needs-based model of funding and preserve the community based language revival which continues to deliver results on the ground.’

‘Sinn Féin West Belfast MLA and Irish language spokesperson, Rosie McCorley, stated ‘ I want to give my total support to the Irish language groups across the city and indeed the north but particularly in my own constituency of West Belfast where activists have worked tirelessly over the years to develop and promote the Irish language.  They have been beacons of inspiration for Gaelgeoirí across the island of Ireland.  To jeopardise this funding now would be disastrous for the entire Irish language community as it would remove a valuable resource from those who struggle daily against the odds to keep the language alive and flourishing.

Sinn Féin has an unrivalled record on supporting the Irish language in all arenas and on that basis I call on Foras na Gaeilge to shelve their ideas of funding the Scéim Phobal Gaeilge on a geographical basis.  I urge them instead to continue to assess applications on the basis of need and demand and also on the basis of sound language planning.’

 

Local SDLP MLA Alex Attwood and West Belfast Councillor Tim Attwood jointly stated that, ‘the vibrancy of Irish language groups in Belfast is growing and growing in influence.

The Foras na Gaelige/DCAL approach doesn’t add up, damages what is good and ends up doing harm.  A rethink urgently is self-evident”

 

Support was also forthcoming from West Belfast People before Profit councillor, Gerry Carroll who said:

 

“I am deeply concerned about the impact of these proposed cuts. Some of the groups in Belfast who may lose their funding are based in the most deprived wards in the North. These wards also happen to be home to some of the largest concentrations of Irish speakers outside of the traditional Gaeltacht areas. This has left many in the Irish Language community to question whether this proposal is based on a geographic equality or a geographic snobbery. Working class Irish speakers will lose out most from this proposal. I join with them as they raise their voices to challenge this. I will do everything I can to assist them.’

 

 

‘The Irish language community in Belfast is growing rapidly. I see this every day in my constituency in West Belfast. Here, the burgeoning ‘Gaeltacht Quarter’ is the hub of growing community, fueled by a rise in the number of pupils attending Irish language primary schools. Coláiste Feirste, Ireland’s fastest growing free standing Irish-medium post-primary school is undergoing a massive expansion to meet growing need. At the very moment that this community needs more resources Foras na Gaeilge is planning on cutting off vital existing resources. The only consistency in Foras na Gaeilge policies is its determination to remove funding from the North and in particular West Belfast.”
The Foras na Gaeilge consultation closed on Monday 24th of November with current groups given a funding extension until August 2015, as consultation responses are considered. Campaigning and lobbying will continue in the months ahead. For further info:

For further info, contact: Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh from Foram na nGael on feargal@forbairtfeirste.com 07841101630

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