Meeting of the Parliament 09 June 2015
Tapadh leibh, Oifigear-riaghlaidh. Tha e na thoileachadh dhòmhsa gu bheil Pàrlamaid na h-Alba a’ comharrachadh a’ chinn-là shònraichte seo den reachdas a th’ air a bhith cho cudthromach don Ghàidhlig, agus do dh’Alba. Meal a naidheachd air Aonghas Dòmhnallach airson an deasbad seo a chumail agus tha mi cuideachd ag aithneachadh na h-obrach fìor mhath a tha e air a bhith a’ dèanamh anns an Eaglais Bhric airson na Gàidhlig.
Tha mi air a bhith ag èisteachd gu dlùth ri gach ball a th’ air a bhith a’ bruidhinn an-diugh anns an deasbad inntinneach seo. Tha mi toilichte gu bheil taic airson na Gàidhlig san t-seòmar bho gach pàrtaidh. Mar eisimpleir, mar a thuirt Lewis Dòmhnallach, ’s e Riaghaltas Làbarach-Lib Deamach aig an àm a thug Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 tron Phàrlamaid, agus gu dearbh tha Màiri Scanlon ceart a ràdh gun do thòisich fàs ann an craoladh na Gàidhlig—telebhisean na Gàidhlig co-dhiù—fo smachd Riaghaltas Tòraidh, agus tha dleastanas leantainneach againn obrachadh còmhla gus suidheachadh na Gàidhlig a chumail seasmhach agus brìghmhor san àm ri teachd.
Tha ar mion-chànain agus ar cànain dùthchasach cudthromach dhuinn uile. Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh air Albais cuideachd, agus tha buill ceart a bhith a’ bruidhinn mu dheidhinn sin. Tha mi a’ creidsinn nach eil for aig mòran gu bheil deich cànain dùthchasach air am bruidhinn an-diugh air feadh Eileanan Bhreatainn agus gu bheil iad a’ smaointinn gu bheil sinn uile aon-chànanach. Tha seo fada bhon fhìrinn. Tha daoine bho gach cèarn de na h-eileanan seo a’ cleachdadh chànan dùthchasach a bharrachd air a’ Bheurla airson conaltradh le caraidean, càirdean, luchd-teagaisg, luchd-obrach agus seirbheisean poblach. Ged a tha iad nam mion-shluagh, chan eil e a’ leantainn nach eil iad ann.
Tha e doirbh airson muinntir na h-Alba ar cànain a leigeil seachad. Tha iad mun cuairt oirnn uile agus togaidh iad aire gach Albannach uaireigin. Tha iad nar beanntan is nar n-uisgeachan-beatha. Tha iad nar ceòl is nar bàrdachd, nar n-eachdraidh, nar n-ainmean-àite is nar poileataics cuideachd. Gu dearbh tha amharas agam, san aonamh linn air fhichead, far a bheil sinn a’ faireachdainn nas aon-chànanaich gach latha, gu bheil barrachd chothroman ar cànain fhaicinn, a chluinntinn agus a leughadh an-diugh ann an Alba na bh’ ann an linn sam bith roimhe. Cha ghabh an diùltadh mar eileamaid de ar dualchas agus tha e ceart gum bu chòir ar cànain fhaicinn is a chluinntinn.
Tha Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 air a bhith cudthromach don Ghàidhlig airson iomadh adhbhar. An toiseach, thug an reachdas dhuinn na briathran cudthromach mu spèis co-ionann ris a’ Bheurla agus chan fhuilear dhuinn seo a dhìochuimhneachadh. Thug e inbhe don Ghàidhlig mar chànan nàiseanta na h-Alba. Tha seo cudthromach do dhearbh-aithne ar dùthcha, san àm a dh’fhalbh agus san àm ri teachd.
Tha na cumhachdan agus dleastanasan a thug an reachdas seo don bhòrd—plana Gàidhlig nàiseanta ullachadh agus iarraidh air buidhnean poblach planaichean Gàidhlig aca fhèin ullachadh—air a bhith a cheart cho cudthromach, a’ sealltainn gu bheil taic ann airson ar cànain nàiseanta ann am beatha phoblach na h-Alba.
A dh’aindeoin bhriathran an aghaidh ar cànain a chluinnear uaireannan bho earrannan de na meadhanan—bha Jean Urquhart a’ bruidhinn mu dheidhinn seo, tha mi a’ creidsinn—tha planaichean Gàidhlig air a bhith cudthromach airson an suidheachadh far a bheil sinn an-diugh a ruighinn. Às aonais nam planaichean seo, cha bhiodh sinn air aire dhaoine a thogail chun na h-ìre seo agus cha bhiodh an ìre de ghnìomhan agus seirbheisean rim faighinn tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a gheibhear an-diugh bho na buidhnean poblach. Anns na planaichean aig ùghdarrasan ionadail gu h-àraidh, cha bhiodh an aon adhartas air a bhith ann a thaobh an taice a chuirear ri leasachadh agus fàs ann am foghlam Gàidhlig aig gach ìre.
Tha adhartas lìonmhor air a bhith san taic a chithear don Ghàidhlig o chionn ghoirid a thaobh ealain, cultar agus foghlam. Anns na meadhanan agus craoladh, tha sinn cuideachd air deagh adhartas fhaicinn. Tha sinn a’ faicinn cho soirbheachail ’s a tha MG Alba air a bhith ag obrachadh leis a’ BhBC. Tha an com-pàirteachas seo air mòran a choileanadh ann an ùine ghoirid agus tha seo air beairteas a thoirt do shuidheachadh craolaidh na h-Alba. Tha gnìomhan MG Alba air taic a thoirt don eaconamaidh cuideachd le barrachd air £9 millean air a thoirt seachad do chompanaidhean ionadail airson riochdachadh phrògraman.
Ann an raon an fhoghlaim, tha an àireamh de sgoilearan a’ tòiseachadh sa bhun-sgoil air fàs bho 386 ann an 2007 gu 556 ann an 2014. Le taic bhon mhaoin chalpa airson sgoiltean Ghàidhlig chunnaic sinn foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig air a sgaoileadh air feadh Alba, le iomadh sgoil agus aonad Gàidhlig air fhosgladh neo air a leudachadh, nam measg Obar Pheallaidh, Bogh Mòr, Comar nan Allt, Dùn Èideann, Glaschu, An Gearasdan, Gleann Urchadain, Inbhir Nis, Irbhinn, Cille Mheàrnaig, an t-Òban agus Port Rìgh. Tha foghlam air leth cudthromach don chànan san àm ri teachd. Às a leth, chan fhaic sinn a-chaoidh na h-àireamhan airson seasmhachd a thoirt don Ghàidhlig.
Bha ball no dhà a’ togail phuingean mu dheidhinn Bile an Fhoghlaim (Alba) a tha a’ dol tron Phàrlamaid an-dràsta, agus tha mi uamhasach deònach coinneachadh ris na buill sin mu dheidhinn nam puingean a th’ aca. Tha mi gu math deònach èisteachd ri duine sam bith a tha ag iarraidh am bile sin a leasachadh.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
It is a pleasure for me that the Scottish Parliament has recognised the anniversary of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which was important for the Gaelic language and for Scotland. I congratulate Angus MacDonald on leading the debate and I am glad that progress is being made on the language in Falkirk. I have listened intently to the comments made by all those who have contributed to this interesting debate.
I am pleased to see that Gaelic continues to have cross-party support in the chamber. As Angus MacDonald said, the Labour-Lib Dem Government took the 2005 act through Parliament and Mary Scanlon was correct to say that growth in Gaelic broadcasting and TV began under the auspices of a Tory Government. We should continue to work together to ensure a bright and sustainable future for the language.
Our minority and indigenous languages are important to us. I am thinking about Scots, which members were correct to talk about. I am sure that many members of the public do not realise that 10 indigenous languages are spoken today in the British isles and believe that we are a nation of monoglots. That is far from the case: people the length and breadth of these islands are using indigenous languages other than English to communicate with friends, family, teachers, colleagues and public services. The fact that they are in the minority does not mean that they do not exist.
The good news is that it is difficult for people in Scotland to ignore our languages. They are all around us, and at some stage every Scot will have to notice them. They are in our song, our poetry, our history, our place names and our politics. In fact, I suspect that, in what is supposed to be an increasingly monoglot 21st century, there are actually more opportunities than ever before to see, hear and read about our languages in Scotland. Our languages are an undeniable element of our heritage, and it is right that they should be seen and heard.
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 has been important for Gaelic for a number of reasons. First, the legislation gave us an important statement of equal respect with the English language, and that should not be forgotten. It made Gaelic a national language of Scotland, and it made an important statement about the past and future identity of our country.
The legislation also gave us the first statutory body with the function of supporting and developing the Gaelic language: Bòrd na Gàidhlig. The legislation gave Bòrd na Gàidhlig powers and duties to ask public bodies to prepare Gaelic language plans, and it was equally important in helping Scottish public life focus on how to support the language.
Jean Urquhart spoke about the negativity in some quarters. Gaelic language plans have been important in getting us to where we are today. Without those plans we would not have seen the same level of awareness of the language, nor would we have seen the level of operations and services through the medium of Gaelic that those public bodies provide. In the case of local authorities’ plans, we would not have seen such progress in supporting the development and growth of Gaelic education at all levels.
There has been a great deal of progress in the support for Gaelic in recent years from the arts, broadcasting, culture and education. In media and broadcasting, we have seen good Gaelic broadcasts. We have seen the success of MG Alba, working in partnership with the BBC. The partnership has achieved much in a short time and has enriched the broadcasting landscape in Scotland. The activities of BBC Alba have helped to support the economy, with more than £9 million going directly to the local companies that are involved in the production of programming.
In education, we have seen good growth in the number of pupils entering primary 1, from 386 in 2007 to 556 in 2014. As a result of support from the Gaelic schools capital fund, we have witnessed the expansion of Gaelic-medium education across Scotland as Gaelic schools and units open or expand, including those at Aberfeldy, Bowmore, Cumbernauld, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fort William, Glenurquhart, Inverness, Irvine, Kilmarnock, Oban and Portree. Education is key to the future of the language—without it, we will not see the numbers coming through to legitimately secure the future of Gaelic.
I will mention one or two of the points that members raised regarding the Education (Scotland) Bill that is going through Parliament. I am very happy to meet those members to discuss the points that they made, and I am willing to listen to any points made about the bill and its development.