Debate contribution: Irish-medium Education (Workforce Plan) Bill: Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on .
- MLA
- Mr Gerry Carroll
- Party at the time
- People Before Profit Alliance
- Date
- 21 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Irish-medium Education (Workforce Plan) Bill: Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5743378
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Ba mhaith liom labhairt i leith an Bhille seo, ní hamháin mar ionadaí d'Iarthar Bhéal Feirste, ach mar thuismitheoir, agus páistí agam féin atá ag gabháil don Ghaeloideachas. Chím tionchar cruálach Stormont ar an phleanáil, ar acmhainní agus ar thacaíocht a chur ar fáil d’earnáil na Gaelscolaíochta, chím sin achan lá i bpobail lucht oibre cosúil le mo phobal féin. Agus mar athair, cím an costas daonna. Cím an traochadh dearg ar oibrithe oideachais atá spíonta, iad ag iarraidh cuid a chur le costas chun earnáil atá ag fás go rábach a choinneáil ar snámh. Amharc ar Choláiste Feirste, mar shampla. Tógadh an scoil do 600 dalta; tá sí anois ag cur thar maoil le breis agus 1,000 duine óg. Ní timpiste é sin. Ní fadhb spáis amháin atá ann ach oiread. Sin a tharlaíonn nuair a thugtar ar phobal a bheith ag fás in ainneoin Stormont, an fás sin á thiomáint go hiomlán ag paisean na n-oibrithe, na dtuismitheoirí agus ghníomhaithe an phobail ar an talamh. Tá sé de dhualgas ar an Roinn le 28 mbliana anuas oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge a "spreagadh agus a éascú". Ach le beagnach trí scór bliain, níl oiread is plean amháin curtha le chéile don lucht oibre. Mar atá léirithe ag pobal na Gaeilge arís agus arís eile sna cúirteanna, dhiúltaigh an Coiste Feidhmiúcháin ar bhonn córasach straitéis don Ghaeilge a ghlacadh, rud a fhágann teaghlaigh lucht oibre ag brath ar dhea-mhéin an phobail in áit soláthar ón stát.
Let us be honest about the reason for that: it stems largely from the DUP's entrenched and reactionary politics. We have heard the arguments in the debate briefly today and before that the Bill creates a structural inequality and affords preferential treatment to Irish-medium schools. That position is just sectarian nonsense and must be rejected outright. Equal rights do not constitute preferential treatment, and the DUP's persistent hostility towards the Irish language is part of an anti-democratic pattern. This is a party that does its utmost to obstruct the rights of Irish speakers, just as it attempts to hold back progress for women, the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minorities and the working class in general. It has shown time and time again —
That politics is, unfortunately, foisted upon us. Ach, níl i seicteachas aontachtach ach leath an scéil. Tá an chuid eile den Choiste Feidhmiúcháin — lena n-áirítear páirtithe náisiúnacha a mhaíonn go dtacaíonn siad leis an Ghaeilge — tá sin fíorchiontach fosta. Nuair a thagann an crú ar an tairne, tugann siad tús áite do loighic bhrúidiúil eacnamaíochta dhéine an Rialtais i Londain seachas d'infheistíocht phoiblí. Tá siad sásta labhairt ar son na Gaeilge, le linn dóibh na ciorruithe cruálacha a bhrú ar na scoileanna: ciorruithe a chuireann brú ar oibrithe agus ar mhúinteoirí go háirithe dul thar lear chun slí bheatha a bhaint amach in áit éigin eile. Ní dhéanfaidh grá don Ghaeilge agus pleananna cliste reachtúla, ní dhéanfaidh sin amháin an Ghaelscolaíocht a shábháil. Níl i bplean don lucht oibre gan maoiniú cinnte ach píosa páipéir a bheidh ina luí ar sheilf. Agus i rith an ama, admhaíonn an tAire é féin go bhfuil a bhuiséad féin dofheidhmithe.
The Executive treat school staff across the entire education sector with disrespect. Teachers in Irish-medium schools work 47 hours a week on average. They are utterly exhausted and worn out. That is why so many of them cross the border in search of a viable wage, which is why the Bill and its amendments are essential and important.
I will move on for a second. Stormont refuses to increase or fund teacher-training places that are urgently needed to cater for the growing number of pupils. Classroom assistants and early years workers are the backbone of our schools. They have been left short-changed on insecure contracts and low pay. Over 30% of post-primary pupils in the Irish-medium education sector have been identified as having SEN, so the two issues are connected, and the Bill deals with a fundamental aspect of special educational needs but in the Irish-medium education sector, obviously. Unfortunately, parents are still told to remove their children from Irish-medium settings if they wish to access basic speech therapy or support, because the Bill and the situation cannot address the underfunding of the health service, which also employs those specialists. Cé go dtacaím leis an Bhille seo, ní chinnteoidh Stormont go gcuirfear i bhfeidhm ina iomláine é. Ní thiocfaidh an t-athrú atá de dhíth ón bharr anuas le margaí polaitíochta a impí i seomraí coiste in Stormont. Tiocfaidh sé ón fhrithbheartaíocht ar an talamh. Tá múinteoirí ar fud an Tuaiscirt —.
In a sense, yes. However, what the Member fails to understand is that there are extra barriers and difficulties with training in Irish and working in the Irish-medium sector. There is a lack of teachers; there is a lack of classroom assistants; teachers are forced to do translation themselves, so, in some ways, the pain is across the board but there are extra barriers that exist in the Irish-medium sector. Either your party is unwilling to take that on board, or you are wilfully misrepresenting the situation. I do not know which one it is; probably the former. Tiocfaidh sé ón fhrithbheartaíocht ar an talamh. Tá múinteoirí ar fud an Tuaiscirt tar éis vótáil cheana féin ar son gníomhaíocht thionsclaíoch. Taispeánann an sainordú stailce sin cá bhfuil an fhíorchumhacht. Is é an teachtaireacht atá agam inniu do phobal na Gaeilge, do ghluaiseacht na gceardchumann, d'oibrithe oideachais, do chúntóirí ranga, agus do thuismitheoirí: ná fanaigí le Stormont chun an beart a dhéanamh daoibh. Tógaigí an brú ón bhun aníos. Bígí ar na línte picéid, eagraígí sna hionaid oibre, agus nascaigí an troid ar son cearta teanga leis an streachailt aicmeach leathan i gcoinne dhéine an Choiste Feidhmiúcháin. Is é an t-aon bhealach leis an tsáinn sheicteach a bhriseadh ná daoine den lucht oibre seasamh le chéile. Sin é. Go raibh maith agat.
990 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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