This morning, 1/11/24, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (AMLCT/TCDSU) taped a banner to the Campanile scaffolding with a large banner asking “Cá bhfuil an Ghaeilge?” (Where is the Irish?) to send a message that access to Gaeilge must be a top priority for the University. The action was accompanied by a letter to the Provost regarding a number of topics relating to daily life through Irish as well as a report to
Trinity’s Department of Estates and Facilities on the College’s failure to comply completely with signage, stationary, and audio regulations in the Official Languages Act 2003.
As a public body within the State, Trinity College Dublin has a duty to fulfill a number of obligations outlined in the legislation, namely
- That all signage be in Irish (the last deadline for this was in 2013)
- That all stationary include the version of College’s logo where the two languages are equal (the last deadline for this was in 2013)
- That all recorded oral announcements be in Irish (the last deadline for this was in 2013)
- That all electronic correspondence received in Irish be answered in Irish including emails and social media messages
- That 20% of Trinity’s public advertisement be in Irish and that 5% of advertisement spending will be spent on Irish language media
- That 20% of Trinity’s staff as a public body will have a B2 (upper intermediate) level of Irish by 2030
- 20% of all recruits to the civil service will have a B2 level in Irish, recruits Trinity educates In light of the growing list obligations on public bodies to ensure the future of the Irish language as a viable daily language of communication in all sectors, AMLCT/TCDSU has asked College on a multitude of occasions to provide more funding to the Irish
Language Office of College, which despite its best efforts, is understaffed and
under-resourced with only one full time employee working in a corner of the Secretary’s office. The equivalent office in UCD is a full office with four full time employees to ensure the fulfilment of the legislation while providing a platform for the language to
grow within the university.
The recently published National Plan for Irish Language Public Services clarified that competency to provide services in the Irish language means having at least a B2 or upper intermediate level in the language. That has huge implications and affirms that Trinity will have to shift toward a truly bilingual university on all fronts. Despite this, however, AMLCT/TCDSU has seen no commitment to date in recognising this and is increasingly worried that Trinity simply does not care about its duties toward the language as since July 2024 alone, students have received responses in English to emails sent in Irish from at least six College departments in direct breach of the Official Languages Act.
AMLCT/TCDSU and Trinity students, who recently voted in favour of equal status for the Irish language in student life and a full time student union officer for its promotion in an unprecedented 90% referendum win, demand that Trinity College take immediate action in ensuring the future of the Irish language on our campus by tripling the current funding for the Irish language office and hiring a full time translation officer and an academic language planning officer in order to properly fulfil the legislation. We demand an Irish Language Action Plan from College and direct mention of the expansion of the aforementioned office in Trinity’s upcoming Strategic Plan 2025-2029. As today’s action has shown, we are determined on this issue and will not stop advocating until solutions are reached.
Contacts:
Pádraig Mac Brádaigh, Oifigeach na Gaeilge, 089 488-8693
Jenny Maguire, Uachtarán AMLCT, 087 341 2101
Campainíl Choláiste na Tríonóide Athmhaisithe ag Mic Léinn mar Agóid in aghaidh Easpa Gnímh an Choláiste chun Cearta Teanga a Chosaint
Ar maidin inniu, 1/11/24, ghreamaigh Aontas Mac Léinn Choláiste na Tríonóide (AMLCT) bratach mhór ag fiafraí “Cá bhfuil an Ghaeilge?” ar Champainíl Choláiste na Tríonóide le téip chun a chur in iúl don Choláiste go gcaithfidh rochtain ar an nGaeilge a bheith mar phríomhthosaíocht acu. In éineacht leis an ngníomh, seoladh litir chuig an bPropast maidir le roinnt ábhar a bhain leis an saol laethúil trí Ghaeilge chomh maith le tuairisc chuig Roinn na nEastát agus na Saoráidí de chuid an Choláiste ar theip Choláiste na Tríonóide cloí go hiomlán leis na rialacháin um chomharthaíocht, stáiseanóireacht, agus taifeadtaí fuaime in Acht na dTeangacha, 2003.
Mar chomhlacht poiblí laistigh den Stát, tá dualgas ar Choláiste na Tríonóide, Baile Átha Cliath, roinnt dualgas a leagtar amach sa reachtaíocht a chomhlíonadh, eadhon
- Go mbeadh na comharthaí ar fad i nGaeilge (Bhí an spriocdháta deiridh maidir leis seo in 2013)
- Go n-áireofaí ar gach stáiseanóireacht an leagan de lógó an Choláiste ina bhfuil an dá theanga ar comhchéim le chéile (bhí an spriocdháta deiridh maidir leis seo in 2013)
- Go mbeadh gach fógra taifeadta béil i nGaeilge (Bhí an spriocdháta deiridh maidir leis seo in 2013)
- Go bhfreagrófaí gach comhfhreagras leictreonach a fhaightear i nGaeilge sa teanga chéanna lena n-áirítear ríomhphoist agus teachtaireachtaí meán sóisialta
- Go mbeadh 20% d’fhógraíocht Choláiste na Tríonóide i nGaeilge agus go mbeadh 5% den chaiteachas fógraíochta le caitheamh ar na meáin Ghaeilge.
- Go mbeadh leibhéal B2 (idirmheánach uachtarach) Gaeilge ag 20% d’fhoireann Choláiste na Tríonóide faoi 2030 mar chomhlacht poiblí.
- Go mbeadh leibhéal B2 sa Ghaeilge ag 20% de na hearcaigh ar fad chuig an státseirbhís, earcaigh a fhaigheann oideachas i gColáiste na Tríonóide
I bhfianaise liosta na n-oibleagáidí atá ag dul i méid ar chomhlachtaí poiblí chun todhchaí na Gaeilge a chinntiú mar theanga chumarsáide laethúil inmharthana i ngach earnáil, d’iarr AMLCT ar an gColáiste roinnt uaireanta breis maoinithe a chur ar fáil d’Oifig na Gaeilge, atá, in ainneoin a díchill, gann ar fhoireann agus ar acmhainní agus gan ach oifigeach lánaimseartha amháin ag obair i gcúinne d’oifig an Rúnaí. Is oifig iomlán cheart í a macasamhail i COBÁC le ceathrar fostaithe go lánaimseartha chun comhlíonadh na reachtaíochta a chinntiú agus ardán a chur ar fáil don teanga chun fás laistigh den ollscoil.
Soiléiríodh sa Phlean Náisiúnta do Sheirbhísí Poiblí Gaeilge, a foilsíodh le déanaí, gurb ionann inniúlacht seirbhísí a sholáthar i nGaeilge agus leibhéal B2 nó
meánleibhéal uachtarach a bheith ag duine sa teanga. Tá impleachtaí ollmhóra aige sin agus dearbhaíonn sé go gcaithfidh Choláiste na Tríonóide iompú ina ollscoil atá fíordhátheangach i ngach gné. Ina ainneoin sin, áfach, níl aon choimitmint feicthe ag AMLCT go dtí seo ina thaobh sin agus táimid ag éirí níos buartha gur cuma le Coláiste na Tríonóide faoina gcuid dualgas i leith na teanga mar ó mhí Iúil 2024 i leith, fiú, tá freagraí i mBéarla faighte ag mic léinn a sheol ríomhphoist i nGaeilge ó shé rannóg Choláiste ar a laghad, rud a sháraíonn Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla go díreach.
Éilíonn AMLCT agus mic léinn Choláiste na Tríonóide, a vótáil go láidir i reifreann le déanaí le bua 90% nach bhfacthas roimhe, ar son comhstádas iomlán don Ghaeilge agus oifigeach lánaimseartha chun í a chur chun cinn in Aontas na Mac Léinn, go ndéanfadh Coláiste na Tríonóide beart láithreach chun todhchaí na Gaeilge ar ár gcampas a chinntiú trí mhéadú faoi thrí ar an maoiniú reatha d’Oifig na Gaeilge agus oifigeach aistriúcháin lánaimseartha agus oifigeach pleanála teanga acadúil a fhostú chun an reachtaíocht a chomhlíonadh i gceart. Éilímid Plean Gnímh Gaeilge ón gColáiste agus tagairt dhíreach do leathnú na hoifige thuasluaite i bPlean Straitéiseach Choláiste na Tríonóide 2025-2029, atá le teacht. Mar a léirigh gníomh an lae inniu, táimid diongbháilte ar an gceist seo agus ní stopfaimid den abhcóideacht go dtiocfar ar réitigh.
Teagmhálaithe:
Pádraig Mac Brádaigh, Oifigeach na Gaeilge, 089 488-8693
Jenny Maguire, Uachtarán AMLCT, 087 341 210
Enviado por José Antonio Sierra
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