murchadh

Draft Gaelic Bill unveiled at 100th Mod
10/10/2003

Fhuair a’ Ghàidhlig deagh bhrosnachadh an-diugh an uair a dhaingnich
Ministearan na h-Alba an gealltanas reachdas a chur air chois gus
inbhe a’ chànain a dhèanamh tèarainte ann an Alba.

(English version follows Gaelic text)

A’ bruidhinn aig a’ 100mh Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail san Òban, chuir
Prìomh Mhinistear Jack McConnell agus Ministear an Fhoghlaim agus an
Òigridh Peadair Pea**** an dreachd Bhile Gàidhlig air bhog agus
dhearbh iad gum biodh am Bile a’ dol air beulaibh na Pàrlamaid as
t-samhradh sa tighinn.

A’ cur an dreachd Bhile air bhog, thuirt Mgr McConnell:

"Sa Chèitean am bliadhna, dhearbh Ministearan na h-Alba gun robh iad
airson reachdas a thoirt a-steach gus inbhe na Gàidhlig a dhèanamh
tèarainte ann an Alba. Tha e na thoileachas dhomh a bhith a’
coilionadh a’ ghealltanais sin agus a bhith a’ foillseachadh Bile a
bhios, airson a’ chiad uair, a’ toirt inbhe reachdail dhan Ghàidhlig
ann an Alba. ‘S e an-diugh toiseach tòiseachaidh an 100mh Mòd. ‘S e
latha eachdraidheil a tha ann dhan Ghàidhlig ann am barrachd air aon
dòigh.


"Tha molaidhean a’ Bhile a’ togail air an taic leantainneach a tha
sinn a’ toirt do fhoghlam Gàidhlig, do chultar agus do chraoladh, agus
thèid e astar mòr ann a bhith a’ cur stad air crìonadh a’ chànain.


"Tha sinn airson gum bi inbhe thèarainte aig a’ Ghàidhlig mar phàirt
beothail de bheatha na h-Alba, gus an cànan a bhith air adhartachadh
mar chànan a thathar a’ cleachdadh gu nàdarra gach latha agus gus
tuigse nas fheàrr a thoirt air an àite ‘s an luach a tha aige ann an
cultar na h-Alba.


"Tha mi dhan bheachd gu bheil e cudromach do dh’Alba air fad a bhith
a’ cur na Gàidhlig air stèidh thèarainte. Tha e a’ toirt dhuinn
ceangal ris na làithean a dh’fhalbh agus a’ dearbhadh gu bheil
iomadachd agus còirichean nan mion choimhearsnachdan air an luachadh
's air an dìon airson na h-àm ri teachd."

’S e prìomh chumhachan an dreachd Bhile:

Gum bi a’ Ghàidhlig air a h-aithneachadh ann an reachdas mar chànan
Albannach

Gum bi buidheann leasachaidh na Gàidhlig, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, air a
stèidheachadh air bhunait reachdail gus cleachdadh agus tuigse den
Ghàidhlig adhartachadh

Gum bi riatanas air a chur air Bòrd na Gàidhlig a bhith ag ullachadh
Plana-cànain Nàiseanta Gàidhlig airson aonta Mhinistearan na h-Alba

Gum bi riatanas air a chur air buidhnean poblach an Alba a bhith a’
beachdachadh mun fheum air Plana-cànain Gàidhlig an co-cheangal ri na
seirbheisean a tha iad a’ tabhann

Thuirt Mgr Pea****:

"’S e ar n-amas gum bi na làithean ri teachd seasmhach don Ghàidhlig
an Alba agus gun dèan sinn cinnteach gum bi an cànan a’ mairsinn beò
agus a’ fàs. Cha tèid seo a choileanadh le reachdas a-mhàin, ach nì e
cuideachadh mòr.

"Feumaidh sinn a bhith a’ faicinn na Gàidhlig air a ***ail a’ dol ann
an teaghlaichean, air a h-adhartachadh le sgoiltean, agus air a
cleachdadh gu mòr sna coimhearsnachdan agus air a meas luachmhor le
luchd-ionnsachaidh. Cuidichidh am Bile le bhith a’ cruthachadh an
t-suidheachaidh agus a’ mhisneachd a nì seo comasach."

Thuirt Cathraiche Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnaG) Donnchadh MacFhearghais:

"Tha Bòrd na Gàidhlig a’ cur fàilte air foillseachadh an dreachd Bhile
Gàidhlig. ’S e seo toradh fìor mhisneachail an dìchill a rinn mòran
dhaoine le ùidh ann an cor a’ chànain san àm ri teachd agus is e latha
eachdraidheil a tha ann do dh’Alba.

"Tha aithne aig Riaghaltas na h-Alba agus BnaG gu bheil mòran ri
dhèanamh gus stad a chur air crìonadh na Gàidhlig. Bidh
com-pàirteachais èifeachdach, aig a h-uile ìre, riatanach ann an
coileanadh na h-amais seo.

"Bidh Bòrd na Gàidhlig air a neartachadh le inbhe ùr reachdail,
***hachdan agus dleastanasan. Bidh sinn a’ misneachadh agus a’
cuideachadh le deasbad mun dreachd Bhile rè na h-ùine
co-chomhairleachaidh, gus a’ cho-aonta as motha fhaighinn sna
freagairtean.

"Bidh na dleastanasan ùra air gach buidheann poblach an Alba ann a
bhith a' beachdachadh air planaichean Gàidhlig airson an cuid
sheirbheisean, còmhla ris na seòlaidhean a dh’fhoillsicheas sinn mu
bhith a’ cur nan dleastanasan sin an cèill, a’ toirt slighe shoilleir
ann a bhith a’ tabhann barrachd chothroman a thaobh a bhith a’
cleachdadh na Gàidhlig ann an suidheachaidhean làitheil.

"Bidh am Bòrd cuideachd a’ ***ail a’ deasbad mu mhòr-mhiannan na
coimhearsnachd Ghàidhlig le Riaghaltas na h-Alba, agus bidh sinn ag
amas air an taic as èifeachdaiche fhaighinn don Ghàidhlig tron Bhile
seo."

Thug Riaghaltas na h-Alba làn ghealltanas anns an Partnership
Agreement for a Better Scotland inbhe na Gàidhlig a dhèanamh
tèarainte.

Tha an ùine co-chomhairleachaidh a’ dùnadh air Faoilleach 9, 2004.


Tha taic Riaghaltais na h-Alba don Ghàidhlig gu sònraichte air trì
prìomh raointean:

foghlam
buidhnean cultarail
craoladh
Tha Gàidhlig aig gach ìre de fhoghlam: fo aois sgoile, bun-sgoil,
àrdsgoil, foghlam adhartach agus àrd-ìre agus mar phàirt de thrèanadh
luchd-teagaisg. Thòisich tabhartasan sònraichte airson foghlam
Gàidhlig ann an 1986 agus tha maoineachadh bliadhnail air a dhol suas
on àm sin bho £250,000 gu £2.834 millean ann an 2002-03.

Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba cuideachd a’ toirt taic do fhoghlam Gàidhlig
fo aois sgoile, trèanadh luchd-teagaisg, trèanadh luchd-teagaisg
àrdsgoile le Gàidhlig, Stòrlann Nàiseanta airson stuthan teagaisg
Gàidhlig agus airson na colaiste Ghàidhlig, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig san
Eilean Sgitheanach.

English version

A draft Gaelic Language Bill was published today, fulfilling a
commitment by Scottish Ministers to legislate to secure the status of
the language in Scotland.

Speaking at the 100th Royal National Mod in Oban, First Minister Jack
McConnell and Minister for Education and Young People Peter Pea****
confirmed that the Bill was to be introduced to Parliament next
summer.

Mr McConnell said:

"In May of this year, Scottish Ministers confirmed that they wanted to
legislate to secure the status of Gaelic in Scotland. I am delighted
to deliver on that promise and to publish a Bill which will, for the
first time, provide legal status for the language in Scotland. Today
is the start of the 100th Mod. It is now an historic day for Gaelic in
more ways than one.

"The Bill proposals build on our continued support for Gaelic
education, culture and broadcasting, and will go a long way to
stemming the decline in the use of the language.

"We want to secure the place of Gaelic as a living part of Scottish
life, to promote the language’s everyday use and increase the
appreciation of its place and value in Scottish culture.

"I believe that securing Gaelic is important for all of Scotland. It
gives us a link with our past and demonstrates that diversity and the
rights of minority communities will be valued and protected for the
future."

The key provisions of the Bill are:

Recognising in legislation Gaelic as a language of Scotland
Establishing the Gaelic development body, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, on a
statutory basis to promote the use and understanding of Gaelic
Requiring Bòrd na Gàidhlig to prepare a National Gaelic Language Plan
for approval by Scottish Ministers
Requiring public bodies in Scotland to consider the need for a Gaelic
language plan in relation to the services they offer
Mr Pea**** said:

"Our aim is to create a sustainable future for Gaelic in Scotland and
ensure that the language can survive and thrive. Legislation alone
cannot achieve this, but it can make a significant contribution.

"We need to see the Gaelic language passed on within families,
promoted by schools, widely used in communities and valued by
learners. This Bill can help create the context and the confidence to
make this possible."

Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnaG) Chairman Duncan Ferguson said:

"Bòrd na Gàidhlig warmly welcomes the publication of the draft Gaelic
Language Bill. This is a most encouraging outcome of much hard work by
many people committed to the future of the language and is a historic
day for Scotland.

"The Scottish Executive and BnaG recognise that a great deal requires
to be done to reverse the decline of Gaelic. Effective partnerships,
at all levels, will be critical in the achievement of this objective.

"Bòrd na Gàidhlig will be strengthened by its new statutory status,
powers and duties. We will be encouraging and facilitating discussion
on the draft Bill during the consultation period, seeking the widest
possible positive consensus in the response.

"The new duties on all public bodies in Scotland to consider Gaelic
Language Plans for their services, when taken together with the
guidelines on how to exercise those duties we will issue, gives a very
clear route to providing more opportunities to use Gaelic in everyday
situations.

"The Bòrd will also continue to discuss the Gaelic community’s
aspirations with the Scottish Executive, and we will aim to achieve
the most effective support for Gaelic through this Bill."

The consultation period closes on January 9, 2004.

Executive support for Gaelic centres on three main areas:

education
cultural organisations
broadcasting

Gaelic features at all levels of education: pre-school, primary,
secondary, further and higher education and as part of teacher
training. Specific grants for Gaelic education were introduced in 1986
and annual funding has since increased from £250,000 to £2.834 million
in 2002-03. The Scottish Executive also supports Gaelic pre-school
education, teacher training, the training of Gaelic-speaking secondary
teachers, a National Resource Centre for Gaelic teaching materials and
for the Gaelic college, Sabhal Mor Ostaig in Skye.