background of the language plan for Uíbh Ráthaigh/iveragh
In December 2014, the Iveragh Comhchoiste was appointed Head of Language Planning Organization for this area. The public have been given two years to prepare a language plan for the area and if that plan is acceptable to Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht we will have a seven year period to implement it.
On an ongoing basis, we are working to inform the public about this process as we conduct research among those who will greatly assist us in developing a plan.
We have been doing this kind of work for a number of years in various ways, for example during Seachtain na Gaeilge 2012 an information bulletin was issued to the local community about the importance of planning for the future of the Irish language in the area and a copy is available in Irish and English here. Further information can also be found on the Facebook page “Gaeilge Uíbh Ráthaigh”
Why do you need a language plan in the Iveragh Gaeltacht?
Everyone has heard at this point about their language plan for Irish in this Gaeltacht. A draft language plan will be issued at the end of this year, so it is important to have a clear understanding of what a language plan is. So it's worth asking these two questions: what is a language plan and why is it needed?
We all have to plan every day, from planning your meals, to holidays to planning for our children's education. Languages also need to be planned for but we don't remember that much.
Even in the case of major world languages such as English and Spanish, there is ongoing planning for new terms for areas such as technology, computing and medicine when creating something new.
Languages surrounded by major world languages and those threatened with death require constant planning to strengthen, extend and sustain the use of those languages.
That is what is happening with the Irish language here, where the language is under threat. There is a need to draw up a plan for the survival of Irish as a community language and for its daily usage. This is why the Gaeltacht Act 2012 set out a language planning process for the Gaeltacht. Under this Act, the Gaeltacht areas are putting together a language plan.
This process has been taking place in the Iveragh Gaeltacht for the past few months. Focus groups were held with stakeholders and targets to be achieved identified through the plan. We will have a relatively long time to achieve these goals and if we are not achieving the target, we will have the opportunity to change or replace the target. Unlike other plans written to date, this plan is being drawn up by the public themselves. There is no language or plan without a community. Facebook "Gaeilge Uíbh Ráthaigh" and have a say in the future of the language.