Dhéanfadh sé maitheas duit Teachtaí Dála a chloisteáil ag caint sa Dáil i mBéarla faoi chás na Gaeilge, a deir Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta.
Ag labhairt dó sa Dáil an tseachtain seo, dúirt an tAire Stáit Patrick O’Donovan go mbeadh sé “refreshing” dá mbeadh níos mó Teachtaí Dála sásta ceist na Gaeilge a phlé leis sa Dáil i mBéarla.
Dhéanfadh a leithéid leas na teanga, a dúirt O’Donovan.
Thug an t-aire stáit moladh do Paula Tully, Teachta Dála de chuid Shinn Féin, as ceist a chur air as Béarla faoi chúrsaí Gaeilge.
Dúirt sé gur ceann de na rudaí “is brónaí” faoin nGaeilge ná an “easpa muiníne” a bhíonn ag daoine í a labhairt.
“The lack of confidence that most of our peers in our age group have is the saddest thing that confronts the Irish language.”
Dúirt O’Donovan gurb í an easpa muiníne sin an dúshlán is mó a bhí le sárú aige féin nuair a ceapadh ina aire stáit don Ghaeltacht é.
“One thing that is easier for me to mention trí mheán na Gaeilge ná trí mheán an Bhéarla is an easpa muiníne, the lack of confidence people have.
“We were all brought up going to school for eight years in primary school and for five years in secondary school. When I was put into the job I have, my biggest difficulty, and most people’s biggest difficulty, is their confidence in Irish.”
Mhaígh sé go raibh an Ghaeilge “ionainn” go léir “only sometimes you have to dig it out a bit more than you have to dig out other things…”
Dúirt O’Donovan nár cheart faitíos a bheith ar aon Teachta Dála nach bhfuil Gaeilge acu ach a bhfuil suim acu inti ceisteanna a chur fúithi. Bhí air féin iarracht a dhéanamh an Ghaeilge “a athfhoghlaim trí huaire” a dúirt sé, an t-am deireanach nuair a ceapadh ina aire stáit don Ghaeltacht é.
Ach bhí sé tábhachtach, a dúirt sé, go mbraithfeadh Teachtaí Dála nach bhfuil Gaeilge acu go bhfuil lánchead acu cás na teanga a phlé i mBéarla.
Mhaígh sé go mbraitheann na Teachtaí Dála sin faoi láthair gur gá cás na Gaeilge a phlé i nGaeilge amháin.
Dúirt sé gur rud maith a bhí ann go raibh Paula Tully sásta a dhúshlán a thabhairt sa Dáil i mBéarla.
“It is refreshing to hear that because I think if more Deputies did that, it would give heart to an awful lot of people who feel that they cannot raise the issue of their native language because they have that easpa muiníne.”
Ceist faoin maoiniú a bhíonn ar fáil ó Fhoras na Gaeilge d’eagraíochtaí teanga ar fud na tíre a bhí ag Paula Tully. D’aontaigh sí leis an aire stáit go gcuireann easpa muiníne as do dhaoine ó thaobh na Gaeilge de.
“I went to school for 13 years and have lots of Irish in my head but actually having the confidence to speak it is different.
“That is why we need to support community organisations to actually reach out to people so that people can join these organisations and use whatever Irish they have, because if you do not use it, you lose it.”
