Hansard

Tha mi a’ tuigsinn gun robh rudeigin a’ tachairt dìreach an-dè airson a bhith ga chuimhneachadh, agus tha mi gu math taiceil dhan a h-uile oidhirp a tha ann ann an Alba air fad sin a dhèanamh. Bha mise aig rudeigin anns an sgìre agam a’ cuimhneachadh bhàrd na sgìre—na Mic Mhuirich—agus tha an aon seòrsa leasain ann an sin cuideachd. Air sàilleibh sin agus rudan eile, tha mi toilichte a bhith an sàs ann am pròiseactan den t-seòrsa sin. Feumaidh sinn a-nis a bhith a’ dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil coimhearsnachdan mothachail mu dheidhinn nan rudan seo.

Bhon a thàinig sinn do Riaghaltas ann an 2007, tha sinn air ar taic do ar cànan a dhearbhadh. Mar eisimpleir, chuir sinn stad air gearraidhean airson cànain dùthchasach aig àm an sgrùdaidh air cosgaisean, a’ sealltainn gu bheil comas aig ar cànan piseach a chur ris an eaconamaidh ann an iomadh dòigh, a’ gabhail a-steach craoladh, cosnadh agus turasachd.

Tro stòras calpa nan sgoiltean Gàidhlig, tha sinn air sgoiltean agus aonadan Gàidhlig a leasachadh air feadh Alba. Tha sinn a-nis ag obair air stiùireadh ùr airson foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig agus tha mi an dòchas gum bi seo deiseil san fhoghar 2013.

Tha Gàidhlig ri faicinn ’s ga cluinntinn anns gach ceàrnaidh de dh’Alba. Tha an obair shoirbheachail MG ALBA agus BBC ALBA air a bhith uabhasach cudromach a dh’ionnsaigh seo. Mar as àbhaist, tha Sabhal Mòr Ostaig agus Fèisean nan Gàidheal agus am mòd ag obair air iomairtean ùr a bhios a’ neartachadh a’ chànan. Am bliadhna, bha fiù ’s Disney a’ cur ri luach agus inbhe na Gàidhlig leis an fiolm ùr “Brave”.

Ach, leis a seo, tha mi mothachail gu bheil dùbhlain shònraichte air thoiseach oirnn. Tha oifigear-trusaidh luchd-teagaisg Gàidhlig a-nis ag obair aig a’ bhòrd, agus mar sin tha barrachd tidsearan ùr againn am bliadhna na bha againn riamh ron seo. Le iarrtas foghlam Gàidhlig a’ sior-fhàs, tha feum ann airson tuilleadh tidsearan a tharraing agus a chumail ann am foghlam Gàidhlig cho mòr ’s a bha e riamh. Tha sinn mothachail air na trioblaidean an lùib seo a dhèanamh agus is ann air sàillibh seo a tha am bòrd air buidheann-obrach a stèidheachadh airson coimhead air a’ chùspair seo. Dhà-riribh, tha làn fhios agam gu bheil duilgheadasan ann le cuid de dh’ùghdarrasan ionadail a tha a’ cleachdadh nan tidsearan a tha aca airson Gàidhlig a-mhàin airson teagasg sa Bheurla, agus feumar seo a cheartachadh sa bhad.

Ged a tha e sgoinneil gu bheil sgoiltean Gàidhlig stèidhichte ann an Glaschu, Dùn Èideann, Inbhir Nis, Port Rìgh agus an Gearasdan, tha sinn ag aideachadh gum feum adhartas tachairt ann an àrd-sgoiltean cuideachd. Tha sinn mothachail gu bheil àitichean timcheall na dùthcha le deagh ùidh agus iarrtas sgoiltean Gàidhlig a bhrosnachadh, ann an Òban, Obar Dheathain, Peairt, Condobhrait agus eile. Tha e deatamach nach e pàrantan a-mhàin a bhios a’ toirt seo air adhart agus gum bi sinn a’ soilleireachadh do dh’ùghdarrasan ionadail na buannachdan an lùib a’ chànain.

Cuideachd, ann am mòran sgoiltean beaga air feadh na Ghàidhealtachd agus anns na h-eileanan, tha aonadan Gàidhlig a’ fàs. Ma tha a’ chuid as motha de phàrantan ga iarraidh, is e an ath cheum sgoil Ghàidhlig a stèidheachadh dhaibh. Tha mise deiseil agus deònach airson còmhradh leis na comhairlean agus coimhearsnachdan sin, agus tha mi an dòchas gum bi rudeigin a’ tachairt leis a seo air feadh na dùthcha.

Thàinig am Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta don Riaghaltas le dealas iarrtas airson foghlam meadhan na Gàidhlig a chur dhan lagh. Ged a tha sinn fhathast aig ìre gu math tràth leis a seo, tha mi an dòchas gun teid seo tron Phàrlamaid ann an 2014.

Gu dearbh, chan eil e uile mu dheidhinn sgoiltean idir. Feumar dèanamh cinnteach gum bi Gàidhlig air a bruidhinn agus a cleachdadh gu cunbhallach gach latha anns an latha an-diugh. Tha mi den bheachd gu bheil planaichean Gàidhlig air leth cudromach ma tha sinn a’ dol a lìbhrigeadh seo. Bu mhath leum taing a thoirt seachd do gach buidheann poblach a tha air plana Gàidhlig ullachadh.

Is dòcha gu bheil seo cunnartach do mhinistear a ràdh, ach tha mi a’ toirt cuireadh an-diugh do choimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig a bhith radaigeach anns na rudan a tha iad ag iarraidh agus ag ràdh. Tha mise làn dòchais airson na Gàidhlig, ach cho fad ’s a tha mi ag obair air planaichean tha mi a’ tuigsinn nach eil planaichean ag obair no a’ soirbheachadh fa-leth no nan aonar. Tha pìos bàrdachd le Maoileas Caimpbeul a’ tighinn a steach orm. Tha e ag innse sgeul mu oilthigh nam boiteagan far an robh an roinn Ceilteis aca a’ deasbad nàdur de ghnìomhairean mi-riaghaltaich fad an latha. Mar a thuirt am bard “thàinig lòn dubh an seo”.

Oifigear Riaghlaidh, tha mi a’ tighinn do cho-dhùnadh. Tha plana làidir agus freagarrach againn, ach chan eil an obair againn airson na Gàidhlig seachad an-diugh—chan eil ann ach toiseach tòiseachaidh. Tha mi a’ cur mo thaic ris a’ ghluasad seo.

Following is the simultaneous interpretation:

I recognise that an event took place yesterday to remember Rob Donn. I am very supportive of every effort that is taking place in Scotland. In my own area of the country, there was an event in remembrance of the MacMhuirich bards and there is a lesson for us there. I am happy to be involved in such projects.

We must ensure that we are in clear support of the language and, since we came to government in 2007, we have proved that we are. We stopped the cuts to indigenous language budgets and showed that languages can improve the economy through such things as broadcasting and tourism.

Through the Gaelic schools capital fund we have been able to support the development of new schools and units while helping with improvements at other schools. We are working on the development of new guidance for Gaelic-medium education, which I hope will be available in the autumn of 2013.

We now have better support for Gaelic learning at all ages. Gaelic is more visible in Scotland through MG Alba and BBC Alba. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Fèisean nan Gaidheal continue to go from strength to strength with new initiatives. The Mod now has a very impressive number of young people attending and participating. Even Disney has added to the status and prestige of Gaelic with the inclusion of the language in their new animated production “Brave”.

With those successes come particular challenges. We have a designated Gaelic teacher recruitment officer at the board, and that has helped us realise the highest number of Gaelic teachers qualifying in a single year. However, we clearly require more teachers to meet growing parental demand. We are aware of the difficulties in recruiting and retaining individuals in Gaelic-medium education, which is why the board has established a short-term working group to look into those challenges. I am aware that in some local authorities Gaelic probationers who have been allocated specifically to deliver Gaelic-medium education are being used in the English stream. That needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

It is very good to have Gaelic schools in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Portree and Fort William, but we also need to ensure that progression is available to secondary school pupils. We know that other communities, such as Oban, Aberdeen, Perth, Condorrat and many others, have shown great interest in encouraging the development of Gaelic schools. It is essential that that should not just be parent led and that we take steps to encourage local authorities to see the benefits of the language and to provide those learning opportunities.

There are many examples of small schools throughout the Highlands and Islands with growing Gaelic units. If it is the wish of the majority of parents, the next step is to establish a Gaelic school for them. I am ready and willing to discuss that with councils and those communities. I hope that something will happen with regard to that throughout the land.

The SNP came to power with a commitment to look at legislation to deliver a parental right to Gaelic-medium education. We are at the early stages of the process but I hope that we will see a bill taken through Parliament in 2014.

Of course, it is not all about schools. We need to ensure the vitality and acceptability of the language in everyday life. The Gaelic language plans deliver in that regard and must be supported. I commend the public bodies that have produced plans. Gaelic language plans should be embraced, not feared. They need to be seen not as a burden or something that attracts additional cost but as a better use of resource.

The aim is clear: to reverse the fortunes of Gaelic in Scotland. That is not something that the Scottish Government or Bòrd na Gàidhlig can achieve by itself.

I am full of hope for the future of Gaelic but I fully understand that plans alone will not be enough to make the difference. A piece of poetry from Maoileas Campbell springs to mind. He tells a story of a university in which worms in the Celtic department debated the nature of irregular verbs all day. As the bard said:

“a black bird came here”.

We have a strong and appropriate plan, but the work for Gaelic is not done. This is merely a start. I commend the motion to the Parliament.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees that the principal and urgent need of Gaelic in Scotland is to see an increase in the number of people learning, speaking and using the Gaelic language; notes that the development areas and strategic priorities contained in the National Gaelic Language Plan have been identified and selected by Bòrd na Gàidhlig for the purpose of securing this aim, and further agrees that this plan should, therefore, be regarded as a strategy for growth that will encourage the Gaelic communities of Scotland to promote the language and speak it in more settings.

15:51