Tá líon na ndaoine a labhrann Gaeilge i gceantracha Gaeltachta ag titm, le níos lú ná aon cheathrú de mhuintir na háite ag labhairt Gaeilge go laethúil, dar leis an daonáireamh deirneach.

Fad is a bhí an fiosrúchán seo á slua-chistiú, bhí ár gcomhghleacaithe ag déanamh iniúchadh ar an nGaeilge mar thoipic ag Tionscadal an Dea-Eolais. Faoi Mhárta 2022, shroich an fiosrúchán €515 (ó 11 tacadóirí) as €3,320. Thosaigh an tuairisceoir Cormac Fitzgerald ag déanamh taighde ar an ábhar, agus ag breathnú ar dlíthe agus rialúcháin phleanála i gceantair Ghaeltachta. Mar gheall gur chlúdaigh a h-alt an-chuid den toipic a bhí le fiosrú, chuireamar an fiosrúchán seo ar ceall. Tugadh an deis do mhaoinitheoirí a gcuid airgid a fháil ar ais, nó é a chuir i dtreo fiosrúchán eile.

Cé go ndéanann roinnt comhairlí contae iarracht srian a chur ar líon na ndaoine nach labhrann Gaeilge i bhforbartha tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht, tá éiginnteacht ann faoi chonas líofacht duine a léiriú, nó conas coinníollacha a chur i bhfeidhm nuair a dhíoltar tithe.

Is minic gur spriocanna “sách inmhianaithe” a bhíonn i gcuid mhór de pholasaithe na n-údarás áitiúil maidir le cúrsaí pleanála sa Ghaeltacht, agus nach mbíonn na polasaithe pleanála dírithe ar phobal na teanga a chaomhnú, gan trácht ar é a neartú, dar le tuairisc ullmhaithe don ghrúpa Plean Teanga Chiarraí Thiar in 2021.

Le déanaí, chuir Seanadóir ó Fhianna Fáil lonnaithe i mBaile Átha Cliath i gcoinne forbairt i gcóir 46 teach nua a thógáil sa Rinn i gCo Phort Láirge. Bhí roinnt fáthanna ann gur dhiúltaigh an comhairle cead pleanála a bhronnadh - “éifeacht dhíobhálach” a bheadh ag an bhforbairt ar theanga agus ar chultúr sa Ghaeltacht “leochaileach” i measc na fáthanna sin.

Chun daoine a spreagadh chun cur fúthú sa Ghaeltacht, tá deontais agus tionscnaimh jabchruthúcháin á chur ar fáil do ghnóthaí ag Údarás na Gaeltachta.

Ach tháining conspóid chun solais in 2020: sheol cliant ag an t-Údarás Randox, monarchan bunaithe sa Chlochán Liath i nDún na nGall, nóta dá baill foirne ag insint dóibh Béarla a labhairt, cé go ndúirt siad ina dhiaidh seo gur seoladh é “trí thimpiste”.

Cé go bhfuil roinnt ceantracha a bhfuil coinníollacha pleanála agus deontais i gcóir gnóthaí, an bhfuil siad á gcur i gcríoch go héifeachtach chun cinntiú go bhfásann Gaeltachtaí, seachas iad a chaomhnú amháin?

CABHRAIGH LINN É SEO A INIÚCHADH

Teastaíonn uainn iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar na húdaráis áitiúla agus Údarás na Gaeltachta: an bhfuil siad ag cur pleananna agus stráitéisí na Gaeilge i gcríoch i gceart.

Ba mhaith linn iniúchadh a dhéanamh freisin chun fáil amach an bhfuil na stráitéisí maith go leor, nó an bhfuil gá i gcóir rudaí ar nós leithcheal dearfach do Gaeilgeoirí i leith tithíochta agus gnó.

Ar deireadh, tabharfaimíd cuairt ar cheantracha Gaeltachta timpeall na tíre chun labhairt le daoine atá ag maireachtáil agus ag obair sna ceantracha sin, chun cloisteáil uathu faoi cad atá ag teastáil chun an teanga a choimeád beo.

Más mian leat ciudiú leis an bhfiosrúchán seo, cliceáil ar an cnapán ‘Fund This Proposal’. Is ón bpobal a chruthaítear agus a íochtar as fiosrúcháin déanta ag Noteworthy.

Is féidir dul i dteagmháil linn ag [email protected] agus is féidir fáil amach faoinár gcuid oibre anseo.

LIFE OF A LANGUAGE: Are planning and grant conditions being implemented to ensure Gaeltacht areas grow?

The overall number of people who can speak Irish in Gaeltacht regions is falling, with under a quarter of residents speaking Irish on a daily basis in the last census.

As this proposed investigation was out for crowdfunding, our colleagues at The Journal were examining the Irish language as part of The Good Information Project. By March 2022, funding for this project had reached €515 (from 11 backers) out of €3,320. We passed on our initial research to reporter Cormac Fitzgerald who was examining the enforcement of planning laws and regulations in Gaeltacht areas. Since his article covered much of what we were going to investigate, we decided to cancel this project and funders were offered the option of transferring their contribution or receiving a refund.

Though some councils aim to limit the proportion of non-Irish speakers in housing developments, how people demonstrate their fluency in the language and how Irish requirements are implemented when houses are sold on have been questioned.

“Much local authority policy is quite aspirational and arguably not closely focused on fostering retention, let alone expansion, of Irish speaking communities,” according to a report commissioned by the West Kerry Language Plan in 2021.

This issue led to recent debate when a Dublin-based Fianna Fáil Senator objected to a proposed 46-home development in An Rinn (Ring), a Gaeltacht area in Co Waterford. This development was subsequently refused by the council for a number of reasons including it would likely have “adverse effects on the Irish language”.

To encourage people to live in Gaeltacht areas, there are also grants and job creation initiatives run by Údarás na Gaeltachta available to businesses.

However, controversy arose in 2020 when a memo was sent by a Údarás na Gaeltachta client company, Randox, based in An Clochán Liath (Dungloe) instructing their staff to speak English, though they later stated that this was sent ‘in error’ to the Donegal factory.

Though some areas have conditions of planning and grants for businesses, are they being implemented effectively to ensure Gaeltacht areas grow and thrive rather than merely survive?

HELP US INVESTIGATE

We want to investigate if local authorities and Údarás na Gaeltachta are implementing and enforcing Irish language strategies and plans.

We will also examine if sufficient strategies are in place or if measures such as positive discrimination for Irish language speakers are required in both housing and business.

Finally, we will visit Gaeltacht areas around the country to talk to people living and working there to understand the obstacles faced and initiatives needed to keep Irish alive.

If you want to make a contribution to help this investigation happen, click the 'Fund This Proposal' button. Noteworthy investigations are sourced from and crowdfunded by the public.

You can contact us at [email protected] and find out how we work here.