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THE LANGUAGE COMMISSIONER has described 2012 as “not a vintage year” in terms of the promotion of Irish in the public sector.
During the 12 months, 756 complaints were made by people finding it difficult to access State services through Irish. The Commissioner said that was the largest number ever received by the office.
An absence of staff with competence in both official languages is seen as the main restriction to the statutory delivery of services through Irish.
Thirteen formal investigations by Commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin’s office led to findings of breaches of the language legislation in various government departments and county councils, the National Transport Authority, the Central Bank, the HSE and An Garda Síochána.
One of the complaints investigated by the office last year saw a young man arrested after the tried to engage the Garda through Irish. He had been stopped in relation to a road traffic matter but found himself in handcuffs at a local station until somebody who could speak Irish was found.
The complainant said he felt threatened and nervous during the hour-long ordeal.
…shamed and insulted and I was told several times that I did not have a right to conduct business through Irish, that I should desist and that I would not have been arrested if I hadn’t spoken in Irish.
Ó Cuirreáin said Gardaí failed in this case to comply with a statutory commitment which recognises the right of the public to conduct business with the force through Irish or English.
“Speaking Irish isn’t a crime,” he told RTÉ News at One. The Commissioner also noted a Garda attitude that placed “using Irish” and “dealing with foreign nationals” in the same space. He was also “struck” by the fact that trained gardaí had such an insufficient command of the language that they could not ask a driver, “Cad is ainm duit?” or seek his address.
Some moves have been made to implement the Office’s recommendations on foot of the investigation into the matter to avoid repeat incidents.
“This involves promoting language awareness and training as well a s the development of new practices and a protocol in this area,” continued Ó Cuirreáin.
RTÉ also reported that a laminated list of basic Irish phrases will be issued to every member of the force. Meanwhile, a language awareness programme is being developed.
That headline hurts my head
@MRhino82: pretty sad alright. Time for AI me thinks
@MRhino82: it’s ASUFUTIMAEHAEHFUTBW.
Anyone that thinks this man is running American, I have some magic beens to sell you.
Blinken was sent to Beijing in order to try and halt the slide in relations between the two countries . To the amazement of me and many others he appeared to pull it off . Then his boss President Biden completely wrecks everything 48 hours later . The question is did Biden do this because he isn’t Compus Mentis or was it deliberate , and part of the power struggle between different Neoliberal factions in Washington ?
@Des Hanrahan: Biden has done something similar to this before (although I can’t remember the specifics – it might have been Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia – I can’t remember now) shortly after Blinken met with a foreign government. That time it appeared to be a co-ordinated and deliberate strategy. This time I don’t know. It could be a repeat of the previous strategy, or it could be a random or solo run by Biden without consultation with Blinkin or his administration. We don’t know.
Tip to author sent. Proof read. Twice.
If Biden meets Xi, it is pretty certain they won’t have a joint press conference afterwards.
Biden is too slow witted for that!
Agent Biden is great.
Biden and Pelosi seem determined to undo any good relations between China and US. Inept in the extreme as they know as well as anybody else that relations have to be maintained for both countries sakes
@alan: soooooo your plan is to let China take full control of the south China seas at the expense of the other 7 nations and ignore an agreement with Taiwan. China is only a few steps behind Russia. Maybe if China wasn’t threatening anyone, then the US would not have to stand up to the bully..
@Paul Furey: what possible benefits do bidens and Pelosi’s actions and statements have? Don’t they seem at odds with blinken’s trip
@Paul Furey: I really admire the way you are challenging yourself and are willing to see more than just your own spoon fed perspective. Well done Paul, you will become a better, more rounded person.
surely sleepy cannot beat the Don again, tragic figure Biden is.
Great that Hunter Biden’s Laptop scandal is now all delt with.. No federal charge for unlawfully owning an unlicensed firearm and no mention of the 5 million paud to Joe & Hunter from Ukraine ‘business interests’
afp.. commande in chief.. afp.. this man gettin free pass jaysus..
I see the lying treacherous sex fiend orange things lackeys are out in force trying to dish president Joe at any opportunity. Sados
Xi learning he’s not the 500 pound gorilla in the room.
have your say