D’fháiltigh FPE na hÉireann Theas, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, roimh fhógra an Rialtais go mbeidh stádas beagnach comhionann ag an nGaeilge le Béarla ar fud obair Chomhairle an Aontais Eorpaigh le linn Uachtaránacht na hÉireann ar Chomhairle an Aontais Eorpaigh níos déanaí i mbliana.
D’fháiltigh Ní Mhurchú roimh shíniú Comhaontaithe um Chomhar Riaracháin, a raibh an tAire Thomas Byrne TD i gceannas air, chun seirbhísí ateangaireachta comhuainí a sholáthar, an Ghaeilge san áireamh, ag cruinnithe neamhfhoirmiúla Aireachta agus Cruinnithe Mullaigh a thionólfar in Éirinn le linn Uachtaránacht an AE.
Is tráth stairiúil é tiomantas an Rialtais don Ghaeilge atá ar cheann de 24 theanga oifigiúla an Aontais Eorpaigh. Seo í an chéad Uachtaránacht Éireannach agus an stadas seo bainte amach ag an nGaeilge.
Mar sin féin, d’iarr Ní Mhurchú ar an rialtas, Uachtaránacht an AE a úsáid mar dheis chun dul níos faide agus feachtas earcaíochta a sheoladh go práinneach do níos mó ateangairí Gaeilge sa Bhruiséil, a rá nach féidir léi labhairt i nGaeilge go fóill ag cruinnithe coiste nó grúpa sa Pharlaimint.
“Caithfidh mé suí trí mo chruinnithe go léir i bParlaimint na hEorpa ag breathnú ar mo chomhghleacaithe ag labhairt i bhFraincis, in Ollainnis, i Spáinnis etc. agus ag éisteacht leo léirmhínithe go Béarla i mo chluaisáin, ach ní féidir liom labhairt i mo theanga dhúchais féin agus a bheith leirmhínithe ag ateangaire Gaeilge chuig mo chomhghleacaithe i bhfíor-am.
Cé go bhfáiltím roimh an deis labhairt i nGaeilge i seisiúin iomlánacha Pharlaimint na hEorpa in Strasbourg, ní thugtar an phribhléid sin do chruinnithe grúpa agus do chruinnithe coiste, áit a chaithim an chuid is mó den am ag déanmah an obair chrua.”
D’fháiltigh Ní Mhurchú freisin roimh an bhfíric go mbeidh gach doiciméad oifigiúil, clár beartais agus preaseisiúint, i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla, agus go mbeidh ábhar ar shuíomh gréasáin Uachtaránacht na hÉireann ar fáil i nGaeilge, i mBéarla agus i bhFraincis.
Tá gealltanas tugtha ag an Rialtas freisin go ndéanfar ábhar a éilíonn foilsiú láithreach, amhail cinntí na Comhairle Eorpaí, a fhoilsiú go comhuaineach i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla nuair is féidir, agus laistigh de thréimhse an-ghearr óna chéile, munar féidir.
Dúirt Ní Mhurchú go raibh sé ríthábhachtach go dtosódh Rialtas na hÉireann ag earcú ateangairí Gaeilge láithreach, a bheidh ag obair sa Pharlaimint, le linn Uachtaránacht an AE atá ag tosú in mí Iúil, agus go mbeadh sé seo mar bhunús de réiteach fadtéarmach.
Bhuail Ní Mhurchú le déanaí leis na hAirí James Lawless agus Jack Chambers mar aon le príomhoifigigh ó Pharlaimint na hEorpa, chun comhordú a dhéanamh ar chur i bhfeidhm na ngealltanas Gaeilge sa Pharlaimint – teach shaoránaigh na hEorpa – ós rud é nach bhfuil easpa ateangairí ar chor ar bith sna dhá institiúid eile, (Comhairle agus Coimisiún) rud a chruthaíonn éagóir don teanga agus do lucht labhartha na teanga araon.
Bhí roinnt cruinnithe ag Ní Mhurchú, ball gníomhach d’Idirghrúpa an Aontais um Mionlaigh Thraidisiúnta, Pobail Náisiúnta agus Teangacha, le Juan Carlos Jiménez Marín, Ard-Stiúrthóir na Lóistíochta agus na hAteangaireachta Comhdhála sa Pharlaimint – eisean atá freagrach as athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an maolú dlíthiúil atá ann faoi láthair maidir leis an tseirbhís iomlán Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil sa Pharlaimint, maolú a mhairfidh go dtí 2029.
Tá sé beartaithe ag an Uasal Jiménez Marín cuairt a thabhairt ar Éirinn i mbliana mar chuid de phlé leanúnach, ar chur i bhfeidhm na seirbhíse Gaeilge sa Pharlaimint, ach tá súil ag Ní Mhurchú go labhróidh sé leis an gCoiste Oireachtais, Coiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta & Pobal Labhartha na Gaeilge go luath amach anseo, agus scríobh sí chuig Naoise Ó Cearúil TD Leas-Chathaoirleach an Choiste.
De réir Ní Mhurchú,
“Leis an Uasal Jiménez Marín páirteach sa phroiseas, tugann sé sin comhartha láidir, go bhfuil an Parlaimint ag tacú le feidhmiú praiticiúil na Gaeilge ar fud na n-institiúidí uile, ní hamháin sa Chomhairle agus sa Choimisiún, i gcomhpháirtíocht leis an rialtas anseo.”
Ag cur leis sin,
“Ní mór dúinn dlús a chur anois lena chinntiú go mbeidh fíoracmhainní agus fíorsheirbhísí mar thoradh ar an tiomantas seo, agus píblíne a thógáil chun oiliúint a chur ar níos mó ateangairí Gaeilge do na blianta atá le teacht trí spreagadh ar nós sparánachtaí nó scoláireachtaí, agus cúrsaí gairmiúla a chur ar fáil chun cabhrú le céimithe na Céime Máistreachta san Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála na trialacha creidiúnaithe a ullmhú agus pas a fháil iontu, chun fostaíocht a fháil sa Pharlaimint.
D’iarr Ní Mhurchú ar Fheisirí Éireannacha eile i bParlaimint na hEorpa labhairt i nGaeilge ag gach deis atá ar fáil chun teachtaireacht shoiléir a chur chuig institiúidí an AE gurb í seo ár bpríomhtheanga oifigiúil agus ár dteanga náisiúnta mar atá sainordaithe ag Airteagal 8 de Bhunreacht na hÉireann, agus ní féidir linn glacadh a thuilleadh le béalghrá a thabhairt dár dteanga dúchais i bParlaimint na hEorpa.
“Tugann Uachtaránacht na hÉireann ar an AE deis ar leith – déanaimis deimhin de go mbainfimid an leas is fearr is féidir aisti. Déanaimis an tallann atá de dhíth orainn a earcú, déanaimid ár ndícheall tacú leis an nGaeilge ag gach leibhéal, agus léirímid go bhfuil fíormheas ag Éirinn ar na nGaeilge ar an ardán Eorpach.”
(Críoch)
English Version
Irish Language Gains Real Momentum Ahead of Ireland’s EU Presidency but Parliament urgently needs interpreters
Ireland South MEP, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has welcomed the Government’s announcement that the Irish language will enjoy near-equal status with English across EU Council work during Ireland’s EU Council Presidency later this year.
Ní Mhurchú welcomed the signing of an Administrative Cooperation Agreement, spearheaded by Minister Thomas Byrne TD, for the provision of simultaneous interpretation services, including Irish, at informal Ministerial meetings and Summits to be held in Ireland during the EU Presidency.
The commitment from Government represents a historic moment for the Irish language which is one of the 24 official languages of the EU. This is the first Irish Presidency since Irish attained official status.
However, Ní Mhurchú has called on government to use the EU Presidency as an opportunity to go further and launch a recruitment campaign for more Irish language interpreters in Brussels pointing out that she still cannot speak in Irish language at committee or group meetings in the Parliament.
“I have to sit through all of my meetings in the European Parliament watching my colleagues speak in French, Dutch, Spanish etc. and hearing their contributions interpreted to English in my headset, yet I cannot speak in my own native language and have it translated by an Irish language interpreter to my colleagues in real time.
Whilst I welcome the opportunity to speak in Irish in plenary sessions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, that privilege is not extended to group meetings and committee meetings, where the bulk of my time is spent and the hard graft done.”
Ní Mhurchú also welcomed the fact that all official documents, policy programmes and press releases will be in Irish and English, with content on the Irish presidency website to be available in Irish, English and French.
The Government has also given a commitment that content that requires immediate publication, such as European Council decisions, will be published simultaneously in Irish and English where feasible, and within a very short period of each other, if not.
Ní Mhurchú said it was key that the Irish Government spearheaded an urgent recruitment drive for Irish language interpreters working in the Parliament, in advance of the upcoming EU Presidency, which would form the foundation for a long-term solution.
Ní Mhurchú recently met with Ministers James Lawless and Jack Chambers along with key officials from the European Parliament, to coordinate implementation of the Irish language commitments in the European Parliament, the EU Commission and the Council of Europe.
Ní Mhurchú, an active member of the EU Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages, has had several meetings with Juan Carlos Jiménez Marín, Director-General for Logistics and Interpretation for Conferences in the Parliament, who is responsible for reviewing the current legal derogation on providing the full Irish language service in the Parliament, which lasts until 2029.
Mr. Jiménez Marín is scheduled to visit Ireland later this year as part of ongoing discussions on Irish language service implementation in the Parliament, but Ní Mhurchú is hoping to have him address the Oireachtas Committee, Coiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta & Pobal Labhartha na Gaeilge in the very near future, and has written to Naoise Ó Cearúil TD, Leas Chathaoirleach of the Committee.
According to Ní Mhurchú,
“Having Mr. Jiménez Marín directly involved sends a strong signal that the European Parliament intends to support the practical rollout of Irish across all institutions, in partnership with government here.”
Adding that,
“We must build momentum now to ensure this commitment translates into real resources and services, and builds a pipeline for training more Irish language interpreters for the years to come through incentives such as bursaries or scholarships, and providing professional courses to help graduates of the Conference Interpreting Masters Degree to prepare and pass the accreditation tests to gain employment in the Parliament.
Ní Mhurchú called on other Irish MEPs in the European Parliament to speak in Irish at every available opportunity in order to send a clear message to the EU authorities that this is our first official language and our national language as mandated by Article 8 of Bunreacht na hÉireann, and we can no longer accept the side-lining of our teanga dúchais in the European Parliament.
“This EU Presidency presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity — let’s make sure we make the most of it. Let’s recruit the talent we need, make the effort to support Irish at every level possible, and show that Ireland truly values its language on the European stage.”
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