Trevor O Clochartaigh-Press Statements

8th February, 2011
Irish is Good for the Economy

‘Fine Gael’s Irish language policy makes no economic sense, because it is possible to maintain and develop quality employment for a
relatively small investment, by giving support to our national language as oppose to diminishing it’s status as they are proposing’, says Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, Sinn Féin candidate in Galway West.

Sinn Féin is the only party in the country that is really serious about the growth and development of the Irish language, in his opinion and they are calling for the recommendations of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language to be fully implemented, as oppose to just talking about them. ‘Enda Kenny is talking about another review now, but that is what Fianna Fáil, the PD’s and the Green Party have been doing since 1999 through Coimisiún na Gaeltachta, the Comprehensive Study on the Use of Irish in the Gaeltacht, the Government Statement
on the Language and the 20 Year Strategy. Another review would be a kop out and a waste of money. We need action instead of empty rhetoric if we are going to make progress in this area’, says Ó Clochartaigh.

It is important to act immediately, he says, because it will benefit the economy and create badly needed jobs. ‘A study done on behalf of
Gaillimh le Gaeilge last year proved that the Irish language generates €136m per year for the local economy in Galway and 5,000 jobs are
dependent on it’, he states. ‘We have important industries here like the Summer colleges, media companies, educational organisations and tourism ventures which are fuelling the Gaeltacht and Irish language economy and providng essential employment. There are further
opportunities to be developed if the political will were there to do so’, he maintains.

He also states that we should be supporting the efforts to have Galway given formal recognition as a bilingual city, which would provide the
blueprint for similar developments in other towns across the country. ‘The Irish language gives us a huge competitive advantage to sell
Galway and the West to an international market for it’s unique skills, culture and community spirit’, says Ó Clochartaigh.

‘In relation to the Labour party, the main plank of their policy regarding the Irish language over recent years has been the ‘dumbing down’ of the language, as was done with Hebrew. This doesn’t show much understanding for the needs and aspirations of the Irish speakers’,
according to Ó Clochartaigh. However, a vote for Sinn Féin is a vote in support of the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, he maintains.

ENDS

2nd February, 2011

Candidates in the election should pledge to reverse education cuts

All candidates in the general election should pledge to reverse the cuts to the DEIS Rural
Co-ordinators, announced by Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan, if they are in Government, according to Galway West Sinn Féin candidate, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh.

If these jobs are axed many years of hard work will be thrown by the wayside, children who are in danger of falling out of the education system will be left without essential support and we will be creating social problems which will come back to haunt us in years to come.
This is a very short term saving which will have devastating long term implications if implemented.

This is another attack on education and rural life, he says. It shows the attitude of the larger parties in our country, that the more vulnerable people in our society are put under pressure in times of fiscal restraint. Sinn Féin is the only party willing to take a stand to reverse the inequitable cuts brought in with the Finance Bill, to tax those in a position to pay as oppose to taking money from those who are already struggling to make ends meet.

ENDS

Sinn Féin candidate brands the Hunt Report a ‘road map to Australia’

Sinn Féin’s candidate in Galway West, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, has branded the recently published National Strategy for Higher Education co-ordinated by Dr. Colin Hunt a ‘road map to Australia’. The report, which has been in the pipeline for some time now, recommends ‘a new form of direct student contribution based on an upfront fee with a deferred payment facility’. In his criticism of the report Mr. Ó Clochartaigh said:

‘The idea that after all of the cuts implemented on low and middle income families across the state, that the government are now willing to cheerlead in a report recommending the re-introduction of third level fees is an outrage. There is no doubt that the integration of young people from the poorest sections of society to the higher education system in Ireland has not been achieved through our current model of education delivery, however, it most certainly won’t be achieved if the recommendations in this report are implemented.’

Mr. Ó Clochartaigh also responded to the latest comments made by NUI Galway President Dr. James Browne who welcomed the report, calling it a ‘road map for the future’.

‘I refute the claims made by Dr. Browne that this report is a ‘good road map for the future’. In reality, the only road map this strategy provides is to Australia or Canada. Emigration is becoming an ever-increasing problem in Ireland and if we do not do something to stop the outflow of our young people this country will undoubtedly suffer in the long term. Let me be clear about where Sinn Féin stands on this fundamental issue, we do not support fee’s by the back door in the form of a hiked registration fee, we do not support them by the front door, as proposed in the Hunt report, and we do not support them through the side door, in the form of Fine Gael’s proposal to introduce a graduation tax. The fact of the matter is that nobody, no matter what socio-economic background they come from, should be penalised for getting an education.’

Green Week in NUIG