Gaelic
The next item of business is a debate on motion S1M.607, in the name of Alasdair Morrison, on Gaelic, and on an amendment to that motion. I shall hand over the chair immediately to my deputy, who is at least learning the language of the angels, whereas I am not.
While the galleries are clearing, I shall make my announcements first in English, as this is a bilingual debate. As members are aware, a simultaneous interpretation of speeches made in Gaelic will be available on channel 1 through the headphones that have been placed on each desk. The headphones have been pre-set to that channel.
Fàilte romhaibh chun a' chiad deasbad Gàidhlig ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba bho chionn seachd ceud bliadhna. Alasdair Moireasdan ri tòiseachadh.
Order, order. Welcome to the first Gaelic debate in the Scottish Parliament for 700 years. I call Alasdair Morrison to open the debate.
Ceann Comhairle, 's ann le uaill, iomagain agus beagan de dh'irisleachd a tha mi a' fosgladh a' chòmhraidh seo an-diugh. 'S e seo latha cho sònraichte 's a bha riamh ann an eachdraidh na Gàidhlig, agus sinn ga bruidhinn gu foirmeil ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba son a' chiad uair o chionn sia ceud bliadhna. Tha e air leth freagarrach gu bheil seo a' tachairt aig an àm seo, oir tha an ath-bhliadhna air a sònrachadh mar Bhliadhna nam Mion-Chànan le Coimisean nan Coimhearsnachdan Eòrpach.
Tha mi cleachdadh, Ceann Comhairle, an fhacail "còmhradh" seach am facal "deasbad", oir saoilidh mi gu bheil gach pàrtaidh ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba bàigheil agus taiceil do Ghàidhlig agus don eachdraidh 's don dualchas 's don chultar a tha toinnte ris a' chànain 's ris na daoine tha ga cleachdadh. Bhiodh e duilich dha-rìribh nan tigeadh ballachan poiliticeach eadar i agus soirbheachadh is adhartas.
Carson, ma tha, Ceann Comhairle, a tha àite aig Gàidhlig am measg nam prìomhachais aig Pàrlamaid Alba?
Tha Gàidhlig na neamhnaid luachmhor ann an cridhe 's ann an anam na h-Alba. Chan eil i air a cuingealachadh le crìochan teann. Chan eil i air a crodhadh ann an cùiltean cumhang. Tha Gàidhlig nàiseanta, Eòrpach, agus eadar-nàiseanta. Tha i bunaiteach do dh'Alba. Chan eil i idir air an oir no air chul-fraoin. Feumar a dèanamh gnàthach agus a còraichean a dhèanamh tèarainte. Tha iomadh rud prìseil ann an dualchas na h-Alba, ach, nam bharail-sa, chan eil nì a tha cho aosda, cho domhainn agus cho prìseil ri dìleab na Gàidhlig. Ach, Ceann Comhairle, tha i fo mhùiseig a dh'fhaodadh a bhith bagarrach mura bi sinn nar faiceall. Ma mhaireas i beò agus làidir bidh e na bhuannachd dhuinn uile.
Mar a dh'ainmich mi anns an Og Mhìos seo chaidh, tha an Riaghaltas a' còmhradh ri Comunn na Gàidhlig agus ri buidhnean eile a dh'ionnsaidh inbhe thèarainte dhan Ghàidhlig. Ach chan e Inbhe Thèarainte a mhàin a chuireas Gàidhlig air stèidh air an togar adhartas. Feumar innleachdan a dhealbh agus iomairtean dòigheil a choileanadh gus Gàidhlig a thoirt air adhart.
Ceann Comhairle, mus tig mi chun a' chuspair àraid a tha far comhair an-diugh—sin agad foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig—bu toigh leam beagan fhaclan a ràdh mu Ghàidhlig anns an fharsaingeachd. Ged a tha seachdadh air tighinn air an àireamh a tha a' cleachdadh na cànain gu cunbhalach tha piseach mhòr air tighinn air Gàidhlig anns an fhichead bliadhna chaidh seachad. Mura b' e gun deach oidhirpean a dhèanamh air a' chrìonadh a chasg, bhiodh Gàidhlig ann am fìor dhroch staing an-diugh. Tha sinn fada an comain gach buidheann agus neach a bha strì cho dealasach agus cho dùrachdach gus an soirbheachadh sin a thoirt gu buil. Tha craoladh, na h-ealain agus foghlam Gàidhlig aig ìre nas àirde na bha iad riamh. Ach tha mòran leasachadh ri dhèanamh fhathast, agus tha agus bithidh pàirt mhòr agus chudromach aig a' Phàrlamaid seo anns an leasachadh sin.
Tha an Riaghaltas a' cur taice ri Gàidhlig air chaochladh dòigh. Tha sinn, mar eisimpleir, a' cur ochd millein gu leth not sa bhliadhna ann an craoladh Gàidhlig. Agus tha seo, chan e mhàin air togail agus inbhe agus ùrachadh a thoirt dhan chànain, ach tha buaidh mhòr is mhath air a bhith aige air foghlam agus tha e air mòran obraichean a chruthachadh air feadh Alba.
An-dràsda fhèin tha Buidheann Gnìomh a' coimhead air dè cho deatamach agus cho comasach 's a bhios e seirbheis Ghàidhlig choileanta a stèidheachadh air telebhisean digiteach. Bidh dùil againn ri aithisg fhaighinn bhuapa ann am beagan mhìosan. Agus tha mi a' tuigsinn gu bheil cathraiche na Buidhne sin, Alasdair Milne, a' coinneachadh Chris Mac a' Ghobhainn feasgar an-diugh fhèin airson an dearbh chuspair sin a dheasbad.
Chuir sinn cuideachd air chois Buidheann Gnìomh gus rannsachadh a dhèanamh agus molaidhean a thoirt dhuinn air na h-uallachaidhean agus na structairean as èifeachdaiche gus an luach as fheàrr fhaighinn às na h-iomairtean leasachaidh Gàidhlig ris am bheil an Riaghaltas a' cur taice airgid. Tha iad air beachdan inntinneach agus comhairle fhaighinn eadar Barraigh is Barcelona, na Hearadh is Honolulu. Mar a thuirt mi mar tha, tha crìochan na Gàidhlig farsaing.
Am measg an adhartais a thàinig anns na beagan bhliadhnaichean a chaidh seachad, tha coimhearsnachd ùr ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig—an fheadhainn a dh'ionnsaich i agus na ceudan eile tha ga h-ionnsachadh gach bliadhna mar a thig agus tha sibh fhèin, Ceann Comhairle, an lùib an àireimh sin. Tha cuid aca anns an t-seòmar seo an-diugh, agus tha sinn fada nan comain airson an dealais agus an tacsa agus tha sinn a' coimhead air adhart airson èisdeachd ri cuid dhe na daoine a bhios a' bruidhinn san deasbad. Eadar an luchd-ionnsachaidh agus an fheadhainn a fhuair a' chànan aig glùin am màthar tha neart agus spionnadh ann an coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig san fharsaingeachd. Agus tha e iomchaidh gun toireamaid dhaibh uile tuilleadh brosnachaidh is misneachaidh.
Ceann Comhairle, tha e riatanach cuideachd gum biodh Gàidhlig agus Albais a' neartachadh a chèile. Mar eisimpleir air iomairt dha bheil an Riaghaltas a' toirt taice tha Tobar an Dualchais. Seo Pròiseact gus am beul-aithris agus an eachdraidh agus an ceòl luachmhor a tha anns na tasg-lannan aig Sgoil Eòlais na h-Alba, BBC Alba agus Cruinneachadh Chanaidh a chur ann an cruth digiteach far am bi e fosgailte dhan t-saoghal mhòr tro ghoireasan an eadar-lìon. Ceann Comhairle, Gàidhlig is Albais taobh ri taobh. Chan ann a' coimhead air ais a tha Tobar an Dualchais idir. The e fuaigheall seann saoghal ri saoghal ùr. An-diugh fhèin thàthar a' fosgladh làrach-linn ann an Eilean Thiriodh a bheir cuid den ionmhas ann an Tobar an Dualchais gu daoine air feadh an t-saoghail. Goireasan conaltraidh ùra a' toirt eachdraidh is cultar na h-Alba nas fhaisge oirnn agus nas ciallaiche dhuinn.
Tha mi mothachail gu bheil feadhainn anns an t-seòmar seo aig a bheil ceanglaichean sìnnsreachd ri Eirinn, agus tha e mar fhiachaibh oirnn na bannan eadar Gàidheil Alba agus Gàidheil na h-Eirinn a ghleidheadh agus a dhaingneachadh. 'S e sin a tha fainear do dh'Iomairt Chaluim Chille, a chuir Brian MacUilleam air bhonn o chionn dà bhliadhna, agus tha iomadh buannachd air tighinn na lùib ann an ùine ghoirid agus tha e dol o neart gu neart, le ceanglaichean gan cruthachadh eadar coimhearsnachdan co-ionnan air dà thaobh Sruth na Maoile. Ann an trì seachdainnean eile bidh Pàrlamaid na h-Oigridh a' coinneachadh ann an Doire Chaluim Chille, le òigridh is oileanaich à Alba is Eirinn a' deasbad air cùisean a tha cudromach dha na dùthchannan Ceilteach. Tha mi cuideachd air nochdadh air beingean nan daoine uasail, Ceann Comhairle, gu bheil caraid dhuinn an làthair a seo agus bu toigh leam, le ur cead, fàilte chur air. Sin agaibh Ard Chonsalach na h-Eirinn, Dan Mulhall, agus as leth na Pàrlamaid, chuirinn fàilte fhoirmeil oirbh. Bidh mi fhìn agus Dan Mulhall an làthair aig Pàrlamaid na h-Oigridh ann a dhà na trì sheachdainnean far am bi ministear a' Phoblach, Eamon o' Cuibh, cuideachd.
An t-seachdainn seo chaidh, chaidh pròiseict a chur air chois gus Ionad Gàidhlig a stèidheachadh ann an Glaschu. Am measg nan amasan tha gum bi an t-ionad seo mar mheadhan air feadhainn aig a bheil ùidh ann an cànain is dualchas Alba is Eirinn a thoirt nas dlùithe ri chèile. Tha e mar eisimpleir nach eil Gàidhlig air a crodhadh ann an oiseanan cumhang den dùthaich ach gu bheil i nàiseanta agus eadar-nàiseanta. Agus is ann nas follaisiche tha i fàs ann an seadh eadar-nàiseanta. Thug Roinn a' Mhalairt 's a Ghnìomhachais taice o chionn bheagan mhìosan do Chomhairle nan Leabhraichean Gàidhlig gus leabhraichean Gàidhlig fhoillseachadh ann an Canada. Chuala mi an t-seachdainn seo fhèin gu bheil Comhairle nan Leabhraichean, mar thoradh air an oidhirp sin, air iarrtas fhaighinn o bhùthan ann an Canada a tha airson leabhraichean Gàidhlig a reic. Tha iad cuideachd air cuireadh fhaighinn gus leabhraichean a chur an clò ann an co-bhanntachd far am bi bàrdachd Gàidhlig air a h-eadar-theangachadh gu Frangais agus bàrdachd à Quebec air a h-eadar-theangachadh gu Gàidhlig. A bharrachd air a sin thàinig iarrtas à Canada son nobhail ùr leis an sgrìobhaiche ainmeil Canadianach Alasdair MacLeòid eadar-theangachadh gu Gàidhlig. Tha an leabhar seo a' toirt luaidh air dualchas Gàidhlig air dà thaobh a' Chuain Shiar agus tha e air a bhith cho soirbheachail ri leabhar a chaidh riamh a sgrìobhadh ann an Canada. Mar a thuirt mi mar tha, tha Gàidhlig nàiseanta agus eadar-nàiseanta.
An dèidh na deilbhe fharsaing sin a tharraing, bu toigh leam tionndadh a-nise gu prìomh chuspair ar seanchais—foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig—na mo beachdsa an leasachadh as cudromaiche thàinig air a' Ghàidhlig, agus is dòcha air foghlaim Alba gu lèir, bho chionn bhliadhnaichean.
O chionn ochd bliadhna deug dheàlraich grian ùr air foghlam Gàidhlig. Tro iarrtas nam pàrant, chaidh sgoiltean-araich a stèidheachadh fo bhratach Chomhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich. Tha 33 sgoil-àraich agus cròileagain an-diugh air feadh Alba. Ann a 1985 chaidh na ciad ionadan bun-sgoil Gàidhlig a chur air bhonn ann an Glaschu, an Inbhir Nis agus an Leòdhas. Tha dà fhichead agus a naoi ionad ann an-diugh agus tha 13 àrd-sgoil a' tairgsinn chuspairean sònraichte tron Ghàidhlig. Tha mòran chloinne anns na h-ionadan Gàidhlig aig am bheil pàrantan aig nach eil a' chànan. Tha cuid de na pàrantan a thàinig o dhualchas aig nach eil buinteanas ri Gàidhlig.
Aig an treas ìre, gheibhear foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig ann an caochladh chuspairean. Tha cùrsaichean Sabhal Mòr Ostaig gu lèir tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, agus tha cuid de na cùrsaichean ann an Colaside a' Chaisteil an Steòrnabhagh tro mheadhan na cànain cuideachd. Tha Gàidhlig air a teagasg ann an corra cholaisde air feadh Alba agus anns na h-oilthighean, agus tha cùrsaichean-bogaidh airson inbheach air a bhith gu math èifeachdach. ‘S ann an Colaisde Bhruaich Chluaidh a chaidh a' chiad chùrsa bogaidh fheuchainn agus a dhearbhadh. Agus bha mi air leth toilichte a bhith làthair aig a' Cholaisde sin nuair a bha iad a' toirt seachad nan duaisean air latha nan duaisean.
Sheall measadh nàiseanta air foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a chaidh a chur an clò ann an 1993 gu bheil luach mòr ann a bhith teagasg chloinne mun dualchas agus mun cànain, agus gu bheil e a' leudachadh an tuigse air cultaran agus cuspairean eile. Tha am measadh seo a-nise air a dhearbhadh gu follaiseach.
Thòisich sgeama nan tabhartasan sònraichte a thaobh foghlam Gàidhlig ann an 1986. Thòisich am maoineachadh aig dà cheud agus leth-cheud mìle not. Anns a' bhliadhna ionmhais tha romhainn ruigidh na tabhartasan sònraichte còrr is dà mhillein is ochd ceud mìle not, àrdachadh còrr is deich fillte bhon a thòisich an sgeama. Tha sinne mar Riaghaltas a' feuchainn ri spionnadh is gluasad a thoirt do dh'fhoghlam Gàidhlig, agus tha e an urra a-nis ris na h-ùghdarrais ionadail brath a ghabhail air an spionnadh sin agus cur ris le planaichean is innleachd a bheir gu ìre e.
Anns na ceithir bliadhna suas gu 2001-02, tha trì cheud mìle not eile air an sònrachadh ann an sgeama ùr son foghlam Gàidhlig do chloinn fo aois sgoile. Anns na trì bliadhna gu ruige 2001-02 tha dà cheud mìle not air an cur an dara taobh son cùrsaichean a chuireas ri àireamh luchd-teagaisg Gàidhlig anns an h-àrd-sgoiltean; ceithir fichead mìle not a dh'ionnsaidh luchd-obrach ‘s an Ionad Nàiseanta ùr son Goireasan Teagaisg Gàidhlig; agus còig air fhichead mìle not son cùrsaichean Gàidhlig aig ìre àrd-sgoil a leasachadh. Agus an-uiridh, Ceann Comhairle, thug Oifis na h-Alba dà cheud gu leth mìle not do Chomhairle Baile Ghlaschu a dh'ionnsaidh a' chiad sgoil riamh an Alba far am bheil am foghlam air a lìbhrigeadh tro Ghàidhlig a mhàin. Ma tha tuilleadh pisich gus tighinn air foghlam Gàidhlig feumar barrachd sgoiltean mar seo a stèidheachadh, air an dùthaich agus anns na bailtean, agus tha mi air leth toilichte tuigsinn gu bheil mo charaid, Ministear an Fhoghlaim, gu bhith an làthair, agus gur e gu dearbh a bhios a' dèanamh an fhosglaidh oifigeil air Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu. Bidh an Riaghaltas deònach obrachadh còmhla ri na h-ùghdarrasan ionadail chum seo a thoirt gu buil. Feumar barrachd sgoiltean mar Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu agus tha mi toilichte dha-rìribh, sa sgìre Phàrlamaid agam fhìn, gu bheil Comhairle nan Eilean Siar air sia sgoiltean air feadh nan eilean a chomharrachadh mar sgoiltean Gàidhlig.
Tha Gàidhlig a-nise aig gach ìre foghlaim: fo aois sgoile, bun-sgoil, àrd-sgoil, colaisdean, oilthighean, agus mar phàirt de thrèanadh thidsearan. Anns an raon fharsaing sin 's e foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig as cudromaiche. Agus chan ann a-mhain airson math na cànain, ach airson math foghlaim. Mas e ulaidh nàiseanta th' ann an Gàidhlig, 's e ulaidh dhà-rìreabh a th' ann am foghlam a tha fosgladh dhorsan gu saoghal dà-chànanach agus ioma-chànanach, saoghal nas leatha agus nas doimhne na an saoghal cumhang a chithear tro aon chànan a-mhàin.
Chan eilear a' sparradh foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig air duine sam bith. Ach far am bheil pàrantan ga iarraidh bu chòir oidhirp a dhèanamh air an iarrtas sin a choileanadh. Ceann Comhairle, chan eil an t-slighe idir rèidh. Tha luchd-teagaisg gann. Tha goireasan oideachaidh gann. Tha airgead gann agus gu mì-shealbhach, tha dìth-misnich pailt. Tha dìth-tuigse air a' bhuannachd a tha an cois dà-chànanas na chnap-starra. Agus tha feum air fiosrachadh a thionndaidheas dìth-tuigse gu tuigse. Tha aon rud, tha mi 'n dòchas, nach eil pailt. Sin droch rùn do Ghàidhlig. A dh'aindheoin corra sgrìobhaiche aig a bheil caran de dh'eagal gu bheil na Gàidheil a' fàs ro-bharallach orra fhèin nuair a bu chòir dhaibh a bhith umhail, modhail agus a' coimhead as dèidh na croite.
Ceann Comhairle, le deagh rùn nam ball anns an taigh seo, agus anns gach pàrtaidh, nì an Riaghaltas an dìcheall gus cùisean a leasachadh a thaobh foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Feumaidh na comhairlean agus na h-ùghdarrasan ionadail sealbh a ghabhail air agus lùib nam buidhnean Gàidhlig an aon spàirn a dhèanamh gus cùisean a thoirt ceum eile air adhart. Feumaidh sinn uile obrachadh còmhla.
Tha mi a' gluasad,
Gu bheil Pàrlamaid na h-Alba
a' cur fàilte air iomairt Riaghaltais na h-Alba airson taic a chur ris a' Ghàidhlig, gu h-àraid an taic a tha iad a' toirt do dh' fhoghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig;
a' gabhail ri luach cultarail, eaconomach agus sòisealta na Gàidhlig do dh'Alba;
a' cur taice ris a' phàirt a tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba a' gabhail ann an Iomairt Chaluim Chille gus na ceanglaichean a neartachadh eadar coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig an Alba agus an Eirinn; agus
a' moladh na h-obrach a tha ùghdarrasan ionadail, sgoiltean, colaistean, oilthighean agus buidhnean saor-thoileach a' dèanamh airson foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a thairgse aig gach ìre ro-sgoile gu treas-ìre agus foghlam leantainneach agus airson a bhith a' leasachadh nan ealan Gàidhlig.
It is with a mixture of pride, trepidation and humility that I open this dialogue today. This is a unique day in the annals of Gaelic, as for the first time for 600 years we speak it formally in the Scottish Parliament. It is particularly appropriate that this should happen now, as next year is designated minority language year by the European Commission.
I say dialogue rather than debate because I believe that every party in the Scottish Parliament is empathetic with and supportive of Gaelic and the heritage and culture intertwined with the language and those who speak it. It would be sad if political walls were to come between Gaelic and its success and development.
Why, then, does Gaelic have a place among the national priorities of the Scottish Parliament? Gaelic is a precious jewel in the heart and soul of Scotland. It is not constrained within strict boundaries or herded into tight corners. Gaelic is national, European and international. It is fundamental to Scotland; it is not on the periphery or on the fringes. It must be normalised and its rights must be secured.
There are many precious components in the heritage of Scotland, but none is as ancient, as profound and as worthy as the Gaelic legacy. However, it is under a threat that could be ominous if we are not careful. Gaelic's survival will be to our universal advantage.
As I mentioned last June, the Executive is having discussions with Comunn na Gàidhlig and other groups on secure status for Gaelic, but secure status alone will not put Gaelic on a footing that leads to advancement. Strategies must be devised and appropriate tactics put into effect to bring Gaelic forward.
Before I come to the particular topic under discussion today—Gaelic-medium education—I would like to say a few words about Gaelic in general. Although the number of people who speak the language regularly has declined, much progress has been made over the past 20 years. If efforts had not been made to halt the erosion, Gaelic would be in serious jeopardy today. We are indebted to all the organisations and individuals who worked so fervently and so diligently to achieve that success. Gaelic broadcasting, the arts and education are more advanced than ever before, but much development remains to be done, and this Parliament has, and will have, a large and important role to play.
The Executive supports Gaelic in a number of ways. For example, we contribute £8.5 million per year to Gaelic broadcasting. That has not only given a stimulus and status to the language and regenerated it; it has had a large and positive effect on education and job creation throughout Scotland. A task force is examining the desirability and feasibility of a comprehensive Gaelic service on a digital television channel. We expect to have its report in a few months. I believe that the chairperson of that group is meeting Chris Smith this afternoon.
We also established a task force to examine existing arrangements and structures for public funding of Gaelic and to recommend how those can be improved so that the optimum value can be derived from the Gaelic development initiatives that are financially supported by the Government. The task force has received interesting observations and advice from Barra to Barcelona and from Harris to Honolulu. As I have said already, the boundaries of Gaelic are extensive.
Among the advances of the past few years has been the development of a new community within the Gaelic orbit—those who have learned the language and the hundreds who are learning it each year. Presiding Officer, I know that you are among that number. Some of those people are in the chamber today, and we are grateful to them for their dedication and support. I look forward to listening to them debate later. Between the learners and those who acquired the language at their mother's knee, there is vigour and purpose within the Gaelic community at large, and it is appropriate that we give them as much hope and encouragement as possible.
Gaelic and Scots should be mutually supportive. One example of an enterprise assisted by the Executive is the well of heritage. It is a project to digitise the treasure trove of tradition, history and music in the archives of the School of Scottish Studies, BBC Scotland and the Canna collection, to make it universally accessible through facilities such as the internet, with Gaelic and Scots side by side. The well of heritage is not looking backwards. It is fusing the old world to the new. Even as we speak, a website is being launched on the isle of Tiree to make available worldwide some of the wealth of material in the well of heritage. Advanced communications technology is bringing Scottish history and culture closer to us, and making it more meaningful to us.
I am aware that there are some in this chamber who have ancestral connections with Ireland. It is incumbent upon us to maintain and reinforce the bonds between the Scottish and Irish Gaels. That is the purpose of the Columba initiative that Brian Wilson launched two years ago. Many benefits have come from it in a short time, and it is going from strength to strength as exchanges between communities of interest on both sides of the Sea of Moyle are undertaken. In three weeks' time, the Gaelic youth parliament will meet in Derry. Young people from Scotland and Ireland will debate issues of common interest to the Celtic countries.
I see that we have a friend in the VIP gallery. Presiding Officer, with your permission, on behalf of the Parliament, I would like officially to welcome Dan Mulhall, the consul for Ireland. Dan Mulhall and I will be at the youth parliament, as will Eamon O'Cuiv.
Last week, a project was launched to establish a Gaelic centre in Glasgow. One of its objectives is to use the centre as a means of bringing together those who have a mutual interest in the Gaelic language and the traditions of Scotland and Ireland. That is further evidence that Gaelic is not confined to narrow corners of the country, but is truly national and international and becoming more and more conspicuous internationally. The Department of Trade and Industry recently helped the Gaelic Books Council to exhibit Gaelic books in Canada. I heard this week that, as a result of that effort, the council has received proposals from Canadian book distributors.
The council has also been invited to join in a partnership to publish books of Gaelic poetry translated into French and Quebecois poetry translated into Gaelic. In addition, a request came from Canada to translate a new novel by the acclaimed Canadian author Alasdair MacLeod into Gaelic. It tells of the transatlantic Gaelic connection and is one of the most successful novels ever published in Canada. As I have said, Gaelic is national and international.
Having painted the broad-brush picture, I want now to consider the main topic of discussion. Gaelic-medium education is, in my opinion, the most important development in Gaelic—and perhaps in Scottish education as a whole—for a long time.
Eighteen years ago, a bright new sun shone on Gaelic education. As a result of parental demand, Gaelic playgroups were established under the aegis of the Gaelic Pre-school Council. There are now 33 playgroups throughout Scotland. In 1985, the first three primary Gaelic-medium units were established in Glasgow, Inverness and Lewis. Today, there are 59 units, and 13 secondary schools offer selected subjects through Gaelic. There are many children in the Gaelic units whose parents do not speak the language; some parents come from a non-Gaelic background.
At tertiary level, Gaelic-medium education may be obtained in a number of subjects. All courses at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig are through the medium of Gaelic, and some courses at Lewis Castle College are taught through the medium of Gaelic. Gaelic is taught at several colleges and universities throughout Scotland, and immersion courses for adults have been very effective. The first Gaelic immersion course was tested and proven at Clydebank College. I was delighted to be present at the graduation day at Clydebank College.
National guidelines for Gaelic-medium education, produced in 1993, highlighted the benefit of teaching children about their culture and language, as well as widening their understanding of other cultures and subjects. This assessment has now been manifestly proven.
The specific grants scheme for Gaelic education began in 1986. The initial funding was £250,000. In the coming financial year, specific grants will exceed £2.8 million—more than a tenfold increase since the scheme began. We in the Executive are trying to stimulate and motivate Gaelic education. It is up to local authorities to take advantage of that incentive and to augment it with planning and strategy that will make it effective.
In the four years up to 2001-02, another £300,000 has been allocated to a new scheme for Gaelic pre-school education. In the three years up to 2001-02, £200,000 has been set aside for courses to increase the number of Gaelic teachers in secondary schools, £80,000 has gone towards staffing costs in the National Gaelic Resource Centre and £25,000 has gone to develop Gaelic courses at secondary level. Last year, the Scottish Office provided Glasgow City Council with £250,000 for the first school in Scotland where education is delivered entirely through the medium of Gaelic. If Gaelic education is to make further progress, more such schools must be established. I understand that the Minister for Children and Education will officially open the Gaelic school in Glasgow. The Executive will work towards getting more of these schools established. I am delighted that Western Isles Council has six dedicated Gaelic schools.
Gaelic is now at every level of education: pre-school, primary school, secondary school, colleges, universities and as part of teacher training. In that broad spectrum, Gaelic-medium education is paramount—not only for the good of Gaelic, but for the good of education. If Gaelic is a national asset, so is an education that opens doors to a bilingual and multilingual society—a world that is wider and deeper than the compressed one observed through one language alone.
Gaelic-medium education is not being forced on anyone, but when parents seek it there should be an attempt to meet their requirements. The trail is not at all smooth. Teachers are scarce, teaching resources are scarce, money is scarce and, unfortunately, lack of courage is abundant.
Lack of awareness of the advantages of bilingual education is an impediment—there is a need for information that will turn that lack of awareness into understanding. One thing that I hope is not abundant is malice towards Gaelic, despite the odd columnist who is afraid that the Gaels are getting too uppity and thinks that they should stick to looking after the croft.
With the good will of members of all parties, the Executive will do its best to enable Gaelic-medium education to move forward. Local councils and authorities—and Gaelic agencies—must play their part in this development. We must work together.
I move,
That the Parliament welcomes the Scottish Executive's programme of action in support of the Gaelic language, in particular its support for Gaelic-medium education; recognises the cultural, economic and social contribution of Gaelic to Scotland; supports the Scottish Executive's participation in the Columba Initiative (Iomairt Chaluim Chille) to strengthen the links between the Gaelic-speaking communities of Scotland and of Ireland, and commends the work of local authorities, schools, colleges, universities and voluntary bodies in making available Gaelic-medium education at all levels from pre-school to tertiary and continuing education and in promoting the Gaelic arts.
Tapa leibh a Mhaighistir Mhoireasdain agus beannachdan bho Phàrlamaid na h-Alba.
Thank you, Mr Morrison, and greetings to you from the Scottish Parliament.
The next business is in English. I shall therefore take it in English. Before we move on, I advise members that Mr Brian Monteith has chosen to revise slightly the amendment that appeared in this morning's business bulletin. The Presiding Officer has selected the revised amendment for debate. Details of the amendment are given in the revised business bulletin, which has been circulated to members.
I would like to thank the Presiding Officer for allowing me to replace my amendment at short notice. I have submitted a new one so that the Conservatives can take account of the Columba initiative and leave support for it in place. I hope that the Presiding Officer takes that in the spirit in which it is meant.
I welcome the spirit of the dialogue—as the minister put it—that we are having today. Indeed, in lodging this amendment, we do not so much wish to challenge what the Executive is offering to do, as—in our view—to strengthen it.
Parliament and, indeed, the public gallery may be disappointed that I am not speaking in Gaelic. I assure everyone that it is for the best. I would probably do a great disservice to the language were I to make a hash of it, which is what I would probably do.
People in the gallery may not know of our information service cum library, the Scottish Parliament information centre. I am indebted to SPICe for drawing up a brief, which is available to members. It is quite interesting to see that, among the many aspects SPICe points out, the brief mentions six or so acts that the Conservatives introduced during their 18 years in government. Among them are the Education (Scotland) Act 1980; the Grants for Gaelic Language Education (Scotland) Regulations 1986; the British Nationality Act 1981; the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984; the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985; and the Broadcasting Acts of 1990 and 1996.
All seem to be about subjects unrelated to Gaelic, but they made specific legislation available—whether on road signs or educational provision—to advance the cause of Gaelic. It is worth taking note of that. Indeed, I was pleased that the minister said:
"Eighteen years ago, a bright new sun shone on Gaelic education."
It is in the spirit of that dialogue that I wish to move on.
Not only did the Conservatives introduce legislation, we improved the level of resources available—not by 5, 10, 15, 20 or even 100 per cent, but by a staggering 7,500 per cent—from £163,000 in real prices in 1979, to £12.5 million in 1997. Improving resources is something to which we should be committed.
Today, we wish to support the coalition Government in its efforts to continue our good work. It is only really in the means—
Chan eil mi a' tuigsinn facal a tha an duine còir a' cantainn. Carson nach eil sinn a' faighinn eadar-theangachaidh ann an Gàidhlig bhon tha e a' bruidhinn anns a' Bheurla?
I do not understand a word that this kind man is saying. Why do we not have a Gaelic translation of what he is saying?
I presume that that was a point of order rather than an intervention.
Yes—in which case it was out of order. Given Mr Munro's previous participation in debates, it is safe to assume that he can understand Mr Monteith.
It has often been said that what I say is unintelligible, but that is not normally because no translation is available.
I want to concentrate mainly on Gaelic-medium education. I must say, first, that Conservative members unequivocally believe that parents should have the right to have their children educated in the language of their choice, on condition that English is also taught. We see that as entirely compatible with Gaelic-medium education. We support Gaelic-medium education and we believe that the use of options such as home teaching, Gaelic-medium units and Gaelic-medium schools should enable the provision of a choice that is wide enough to suit parents' needs.
We are indebted for the work of Professor Richard Johnstone of the University of Stirling. His research has shown that Gaelic-medium education is valuable and does not harm the education of pupils involved in it. In his report he says that
"pupils receiving Gaelic-medium primary education, whether or not Gaelic was the language of the home were not being disadvantaged in comparison with children educated through English. In many though not all instances they out-performed English-medium pupils and in addition gained the advantage of having become proficient in two languages."
The findings of that research are no surprise—members will be aware that the teaching of languages through immersion techniques generally gives better results. I have no doubt that if we had French language schools, the benefits of bilingual capability and stretching the minds of pupils would be achieved.
We have nothing to fear from Gaelic-medium education, so I am happy to support the establishment of the Gaelic-medium school in Glasgow and I commend the Executive on bringing that forward. I am happy to support the designation as schools of the Gaelic-medium units in the Western Isles and I look forward to the establishment of a Gaelic-medium school in Inverness.
In Edinburgh, sadly, the local authority has not found it possible to make the change from the Gaelic-medium unit at Tollcross to a fully dedicated school. The arguments that it uses to support its view are lack of demand and the cost of change. The debate about that continues in the City of Edinburgh Council. The Parliament should support the parents who want the school.
If there were direct grant aid for Gaelic-medium schools and Gaelic education boards, it would be possible to expand the provision of Gaelic education and to provide more choice for parents throughout Scotland. The development of such education boards should not be only in the Western Isles, but throughout Scotland.
Gaelic is rich, alive and has a future. By following the Conservatives' plan for education, it could flourish in schools throughout the land.
I move amendment S1M-607.2, to leave out from "in particular" to "to Scotland" and insert:
"building upon the increased investment of the previous Conservative governments but believes it could go much further by supporting grant aided Gaelic medium schools and ultimately allowing Gaelic education boards to run Gaelic schools within the state system; recognises the cultural, economic and social contribution of Gaelic to Scotland".
fag as ‘o "gu h-àraid" gu "do dh'Alba" agus cuir ann:
"a' cur ris an tuilleadh ionmhais a chuir na riaghaltasan Toraidheach a bh' ann, ach a' dol nas fhaide, le bhith toirt taice do sgoiltean Gàidhlig agus, aig a' cheann thall a' leigeil le bùird foghlaim sgoiltean Gàidhlig a stèidheachadh annas an t-siostam stàite; a' gabhail fainear na tha a' Ghàidhlig a' cur ri cultar, economaidh agus dòighean beatha Alba".
A Chinn Suidhe.
Feumaidh mi innse dhuibh aig an tòiseach gur e fear stiùiridh de chompanaidh telebhisean Gàidhlig beag a th' annam.
Bidh sinne a' cur taice ris an Riaghaltas air a' mholadh seo. Ach tha sinn an aghaidh leasachadh a' mholaidh a chur na Tòraidhean sìos. Chan eil an leasachadh agaibh furasda thuigsinn ann an cànan sam bith, tha eagal orm, a Mhaighstir Monteith.
A Cheann Suidhe, tha mi glè dhuilich nach eil mi a' bruidhinn gun notaichean. Thoir maitheanas dhomh nach eil Gàidhlig nas fheàrr agam. Tha mi dìreach ga h-ionnsachadh, ged a tha mi air a bhith feuchainn airson bliadhnaichean a-nis. Ge-tà, 's docha gum bi a' Ghàidhlig agam a' fàs nas fheàrr le cothroman mar seo airson a bhith ga cleachdadh.
Co-dhiù, tha mi gu math taingeal do dh'Alasdair Moireasdan airson a' chothroim seo. Cuideachd, tha mi toilichte gu bheil Buill Pàrlamaid eile a' bruidhinn anns a' Ghàidhlig an-diugh, Iain Fearchar Rothach agus Winnie NicEoghainn agus Seòras Reid.
A Cheann Suidhe 's e samhla mòr, cumhachdach a th' anns an deasbad seo. Cuin a bha an deasbad Gàidhlig mu dheireadh ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba? Uill, anns an t-seann Phàrlamaid—am Pàrlamaid neo-eisimileach—bhiodh Buill Pàrlamaid a' bruidhinn ri chèile ann an Albais anns an t-seòmar. Anns a' chòigeamh linn deug agus an t-siathamh linn deug, bha an geàrr-chunntas—na mionaidean oifigeil sgrìobhte anns a' chànan sin cuideachd. Roimhe sin, bha a h-uile rud sgrìobhte ann an Laideann.
I should declare an interest, as I am the director of a small Gaelic television company.
The SNP will support the Executive and oppose the amendment lodged by the Tories. I am afraid their amendment is not easy to understand in any language.
I am sorry that I am unable to speak without notes. Please forgive me for not speaking better Gaelic—I am just a learner, though I have been trying to learn for many years. Perhaps my Gaelic will improve with more opportunities such as this to practise. I am very grateful to Alasdair Morrison for this opportunity and I am happy that other members, such as John Farquhar Munro, Winnie Ewing and George Reid are speaking in Gaelic today.
This debate is a great symbol. When did the Parliament of Scotland last have a debate in Gaelic?
In the old Parliament of Scotland—the independent one—members spoke Scots in the chamber. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the official report was written in that language too. Before that, everything was recorded in Latin.
The member might be interested to know that Gaelic was last spoken in the Scottish Parliament in 1307.
Uill, seo a' chiad deasbad againn anns a' Ghàidhlig bho choinnich a' Phàrlamaid—no pàirt Pàrlamaid—ann an Airde a' Chatain ann an Earra Ghàidheal ann an trì cheud deug 's a naoi. Bha an Rìgh Raibeart Bruce anns a' chathair agaibhse, a Chinn Suidhe, agus 's e saorsa na h-Alba a' chiad rud air a' chlàr-gnothaich.
Ach chan e dìreach samhla eachdradhail a th' againn an-diugh. 'S e cothrom a th' ann airson na Pàrlamaid a bhith a' smaoineachadh air àite is inbhe na Gàidhlig anns a' Phàrlamaid agus airson Alba fhèin.
Tha mise a' creidsinn gu bheil feum mòr ann airson Gàidhlig a bhith ann an cridhe Riaghaltas na h-Albann. Chan eil mi dìreach a' ciallachadh facal no dhà air puist seòlaidh no dhà ann an togalach no dhà ann an Dun Eideann. Tha mi a' creidsinn gu bheil feum is àite ann airson na Gàidhlig ann an gach roinn den Riaghaltas, agus gach gnìomh is poileasaidh an Riaghaltais. Anns a' Bheurla, tha am facal "mainstreaming" againn air sin. Mar eisimpleir, tha mi 'n dòchas gum bi àite airson postan seòlaidh Gàidhlig anns na pàircean nàiseanta ùra.
Co-dhiù, tha an suidheachadh a' tighinn air adhart, gu cìnnteach. Tha Ministear na Gàidhlig ag obair gu math cruaidh son na Gàidhlig, agus air an taobh seo den t-seòmar, tha sinn a' cur fàilte air an obair aige.
Mar eisimpleir, bha daoine òga a' gabhail pàirt ann an deich fèis air fhichead anns a' bhliadhna a chaidh seachad.
Tha Gàidhlig ann an tòrr sgoiltean far nach robh e fiù ‘s deich bliadhna air ais, àitean far am biodh clann a' dol don sgoil gun fhacal Beurla aca, ach far nach biodh facal Gàidhlig anns a' chlas.
Ach, an-diugh, tha ceist mhòr aig mòran phàrant: Carson nach eil facal mu dheidhinn foghlam na Gàidhlig ann am Bile Foghlaim an Riaghaltais?
Chuir Comann nam Pàrant Nàiseanta iarrtas a-steach chun na Pàrlamaid seo, a' cur na ceist sin. Tha na pàrantan aig Bun Sgoil Tollcross ann an Dun Eideann a' togail na ceist sin—tha clann còmhla rinn an-diugh, agus tha iad ag iarraidh freagairt. Tha am Pàrtaidh seo a' togail na ceist sin cuideachd. Tha feum ann an-dràsda airson lagh air ceartas nam parant airson Foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig.
Bidh mi a' sgrìobhadh an t-seachdainn seo gu buidhnean aig a bheil ùidh anns a' Ghàidhlig air a' Bhile seo. Bidh am Pàrtaidh seo a' smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn leasachadh a chur ris a' Bhile, airson Gàidhlig aithneachadh.
Dìreach mar a tha mòran a' tachairt ann am foghlam, tha mòran aobhair ann airson dòchais ann an craobh-sgaoileadh. Còig bliadhna deug air ais, cha robh dad air an telebhisean anns a' chànan—ach glè bheag—ach a-nis, tha àite suidhichte aice.
Ach, a rithist, chan eil a h-uile rud ceart gu leòr. Tha an t-airgead aig Comataidh Telebhisean na Gàidhlig a' dol sìos, bho bhliadhna gu bliadhna. Tha feum ann airson bunaiteachd agus, aig deireadh an latha, airson seana Gàidhlig. Thuirt Brian MacUilleam dìreach seachdainn no dhà air ais nach eil an t-airgead ann air a shon. Chan eil mise cho cinnteach.
Mar a tha fhios agaibh a Chinn suidhe, chan eil a h-uile duine anns an t-seòmar seo uamhasach toilichte leis a' chumhachd a tha fhathast aig Westminster ann an Alba. Ach, nach eil e neònach nach eil cumhachd aig a' Phàrlamaid seo laghan air craobh-sgaoileadh Gàidhlig a dhèanamh?
Ach, mar a bha mi ag ràdh aig an tòiseach, a Chinn Suidhe, 's e samhla cumhachdach a th' anns an deasbad seo. 'S e àite eadar-dhealaichte a tha ann an Alba a-nis bho àm an deasbaid mu dheireadh againn anns a' chànan seo. Ach ann an Alba ùr cuideachd, tha Gàidhlig beò—ann an cunnart—ach beò.
Ma tha na geallaidhean againn air cultar na h-Alba fìrinneach, feumaidh sinn spèis a thoirt dhan Ghàidhlig, Albais agus a' Bheurla—eadhon mur eil an Riaghaltas a' creidsinn gu bheil spèis gu leòr ann airson ceist mu dheidhinn Albais anns a' chunntas sluaigh.
Bu chòir dhuinn àite aithneacheadh airson a h-uile cànan eile ann an Alba cuideachd—na cànain à Sìne, is Pagastan is na h-Innseanaich a tha ga bruidhinn anns an dùthaich seo. Na cànain is na cultaran a tha a' toirt ar cultair beò.
Ma tha sinn aig obair airson Alba mar sin, 's dòcha gum faigh sinn an seòrsa Alba air an robh am bàrd Ruaraidh MacThòmais a' smaoineachadh nuair a sgrìobh e:
'S ma ruigeas mo dhùthaich-sa slànachd
cha seachainn i dànachd
's cha chaill i a nàir'
airson gealtachd is crìonachd a dòigh,
ach cuiridh i sròn ris a' gharbhlaich,
's ri crìdh na droch aimsir
ag èirigh air sgiathan neo-chearbach
a-mach às a' cheò
gun coisinn i fhughair
na grèine air mullach nan sgòth.
Well, I think that this is the first debate in Gaelic since the Parliament, or part of it, met in Ardchattan, Argyll in 1309. King Robert the Bruce was in your chair, Presiding Officer, and freedom for Scotland was the first item on the agenda. This is not just a historically symbolic occasion; it is a chance for the Parliament to think about the importance of Gaelic for the Parliament and for Scotland itself.
There is a great need for Gaelic to be at the very heart of government in Scotland. That does not just mean a word or two on a signpost or on a building or two in Edinburgh—there is a need for Gaelic to be present in every Government department and every Government policy and decision. In English, the word for that would be mainstreaming. For instance, I hope that a place will be found for Gaelic signposts in the new national parks.
Things are certainly getting better. The Minister for Highlands and Islands and Gaelic works hard for Gaelic. We welcome that. Last year, for example, young people took part in 30 fèisean. Gaelic is now taught in many schools where, even 10 years ago, children used to go to school without a word of English and got not a word of Gaelic in class.
Nevertheless, today, many parents have a significant question: "Why is there nothing on Gaelic education in the Government's Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Bill?" The National Gaelic Parents Association has submitted a petition to the Parliament putting that very question. The parents at Tollcross Primary School in Edinburgh, whose children are present today, put that question, and the Scottish National party puts that question, too. There is an immediate need for legislation to make clear the right to education in Gaelic. This week, I will write to many of the bodies with an interest in Gaelic regarding the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Bill, and the SNP will consider an amendment to the bill to recognise Gaelic.
As in education, there are many reasons for hope in broadcasting. Fifteen years ago, there was nothing—or nearly nothing—on television in Gaelic, yet Gaelic now has an established place. However, once again, not everything is satisfactory.
The Gaelic Broadcasting Committee's funding is going down year on year. There is a need for stability and, at the end of the day, for a Gaelic channel. A week or two ago, Brian Wilson said that he does not think that there is the money; I am not so sure. As you know, Presiding Officer, not everyone in the chamber is greatly happy with the powers that Westminster still exercises in Scotland. Is it not strange that the Scottish Parliament has no power to make laws on Gaelic broadcasting?
As I said at the beginning, this debate is a great symbol and Scotland is a different place compared with when we last had a debate in this language. However, Gaelic is alive in today's Scotland too—in danger, but alive. If our promises on Scotland's culture are to mean anything, we must make a space for Gaelic—and Scots and English—even though the Government does not believe that there is space on the census for a question on Scots.
Furthermore, we should recognise a place for the other languages in Scotland—the languages from China, Pakistan and India which are spoken in our country and which give welcome life to our culture. If we work for a Scotland like that, perhaps we will reach the kind of Scotland Derick Thomson was thinking of when he wrote:
And if my country attains wholeness
it will not shun boldness
it will not lose its shame
for the cowardliness and barren wisdom of its ways
but will turn its nose to the heights
and the heart of the storm,
rising on confident wings
out of the mist.
It will win the hope
of the sun above the clouds.
I call John Farquhar Munro to open for the Liberal Democrats.
Feasgar math, neach-cathraich. Tha mi air leth toilichte a bhith nam phàirt dhen deasbad seo am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. 'S e latha sònraichte tha seo, chan ann a-mhàin dhan Ghàidhlig fhèin agus dhan chultar againn, ach cudromach ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba agus eachdraidh na Pàrlamaid.
Mas coimhead mi air adhart gu ar rùintean agus an saoghal a tha romhainn thaobh na Gàidhlig, bu mhath leam aithne thoirt do gach adhartas a chaidh a bhuinig ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig thairis air a' chòig bliadhna fichead a dh'fhalbh—eadar ceòl is a h-uile roinn eile de ar cultar. Còig bliadhna fichead air ais, cha robh againn ach leth-uair san t-seachdainn de dh'òrain air clàr air an radio agus cha robh càil idir air an telebhisein. Agus 's e glè bheag de thaic a bha a' Ghàidhlig a' faighinn bho ùghdarasan ionadail no buidhnean poblach.
Nis, mar a dh'fhairich sinn, tha cùisean air atharrachadh. Tha seirbheis nàiseanta Radio againn tron BhBC—ged nach e seirbheis nàiseanta a th'ann buileach fhathast—le corra bheàrn cudromach a tha sinn an dòchas a thèid a lìonadh an ùine nach bi fada—mar dh'iarr Ministear na Stàite Brian MacUilleam air a' BhBC bho chionn ghoirid. Tha prògraman radio againn gach latha—agus tha leithid air Telebhisein cuideachd—ged bhitheamaid an dòchas gum bi seanal Gàidhlig againn cuideachd taobh staigh còig bliadhna.
Thaobh leasachaidhean na Gàidhlig san fharsaingeachd, chan eil teagamh agamsa nach deach adhartas is feabhas mòr a dhèanamh tro Fhoghlam tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Tha nis fasig air trì fichead aonad Gàidhlig ann an sgoiltean agus sgoil ùr air a chomharrachadh an Glaschu. 'S e an tàmailt as motha, 's dòcha, mar a dhiùlt comhairlichean an Dun Eideann an dearbh rud a thoirt do na pàrantan a bha ga iarraidh bho chionn ghoirid.
Bidh sinn an dòchas ged-tha gun tachair sin. Tha nis, Fhir na Cathraich, faisg air 2,000 duine cloinne sna h-aonadan an-diugh. Adhartas mòr.
Tha Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) a' cumail taice ri trì deug thar fhichead aonad fo-sgoile. Feumaidh sinn dèanamh cinnteach gum bi goireasan, ionmhas agus stòras aca son leasachaidhean eile chur air adhart mar tha pàrantan ag iarraidh.
'S e cnag na cùise gu bheil feum air còirichean nam pàrantan a dhaingneachadh san lagh agus an dèanamh tèarainte. Tha feum againn air tèarainteachd na Gàidhlig a bhunaiteachadh san lagh, a' toirt dhith an aon inbhe 's a th' aig Cuimris sa Chuimrigh, agus Beurla ann an Alba.
Tha an Riaghaltas nis air moladh ceud gu leth tidsear ùr a chur do sgoiltean a'teagasg tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig thairis air na seachd bliadhna romhainn. Tha mi a' cur failte air an naidheachd sin agus goinne thidsearan air a bhith gar cumail air ais gu mòr. Thaobh trèanadh thidsearan, tha e cudromach gun tèid barrachd ùine agus ionmhas a chosg air trèanadh, agus air foghlam do thidsearan son fallaineachd na Gàidhlig a ghleidheil agus comasan cainnte ar cuid chloinne a thogail. Tha goinne thidsearan Gàidhlig ann an-dràsda aig a h-uile ìre agus anns a h-uile cuspair. Feumar sin a leasachadh, ach an tàladh sinn daoine a tha sgileil, deanadach agus adhartach san obair. Feumaidh sinn cuideachd coimhead gu sònraichte air na feumalachdan a th' aig oileanaich san raon seo ann an sgìrean iomallach agus taic shònraichte a chomharrachadh dhaibhsan.
Bu chòir dhuinn cuideachd coimhead air maoineachadh san fharsaingeachd: An lean sinn leis an t-siostam bhriste, sgaoilte a th' againn? Nach biodh e nas fheàrr an t-airgead a thoirt do dh'aon bhuidheann Gàidhlig, leithid Comunn na Gàidhlig an- dràsda?
Cò bhiodh a' riochadhadh na h-Ard Chomhairle bhon Righaltas agus cò air a bhiodh an t-uallach? Tha sinn cinnteach ged-tha gu feum barrachd guth a bhith aig coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig ann a bhith a' riaghladh an airgid agus gum bu chòir a bhith ga chosg bho aon sporan.
Chaidh a h-uile adhartas air a bheil sinn a-mach, agus a' cur fàilte an-diugh, a' bhuinig le mòran obrach gu saor-thoileach agus le deagh rùn. Agus cuideachd taic bho Phàrtaidhean Phoilitigeach air gach taobh. Bu mhath leamsa gun leanadh sin tron Phàrlamaid seo agus tha mi a' cur mo thaice ri Buidheann Eadar-Phàrtaidhean a stèidheachadh son seo thoirt air adhart.
Tha mi a' cur failte air an naidheachd gu bheil oifigeach Gàidhlig gu bhith againn sa Phàrlamaid son fios a chumail gu buill mun chànain agus son leasachadh a thoirt air adhart.
Chan fheum sinn a bhith gealtach a' cur ar taice ri gach cànan is cultar a th' againn, ge bith dè cho doirbh 's a tha an t-slighe coimhead, no fad-as an sealladh.
Còig bliadhna fichead air ais cha robh ann an Sabhal Mòr Ostaig ach nàdar de dh'aisling. An-diugh, 's e th' anns an sgìre sin ach àite a tha tighinn beò, le coimhearsnachd ùr, agus òg, ag obair sa Cholaisde 's a' frithealadh gach nì a tha a' dol air adhart ann. Agus a' tarraing oileanaich bho air feadh an t-saoghail. Tha an togalach ùr—Togalach Chaluim Chille agus obair lomairt Chaluim Chille a-rithist a' cur ris an lèirsinn a bh' aig daoine ann a bhith a' smaoineachadh air Colaisde Ghàidhlig.
Bidh fiughar againn ri beachdan Buidheann Gnìomh na Gàidhlig, agus an aithisg aca, a' mìneachadh ciamar a tha iad fhèin a' faicinn saoghal na Gàidhlig son an aon seòrsa lèirsinn sna bliadhnaichean romhainn.
Mu dheireadh ma-tha, ann a bhith coimhead air mion-chànan, nach beachdaich sinn air Papa New Guinea far a bheil mòr-shluaigh de chòig millean. Dìreach mar th' againn fhèin an Alba. Còrr is sia ceud eilean, a' mhòr-chuid dhiubh gun neach a' fuireach orra. Tha còrr is ochd ceud cànan aca ged-tha. Tha cànan oifigeil aca cuideachd a tha iad a' cleachdadh sa Phàrlamaid—Tok Pisin—nàdar de Bheurla.
Tha Tok Pisin aig nas lugha na leth-cheud mìle neach (aon sa cheud dhen mhòr-shluaigh):
ach 's e sin a' phriomh chànan a th' aca a' riaghladh na dùthcha agus ann an saoghal Malairt. Leasan ann a-sin dhuinn uile.
San t-suidheachadh sin, bhiodh foghlam Gàidhig, mar a tha foghlam Beurla, na clach-stèidh ann an leasachadh cultarach is eaconomach air a' Ghàidhealtachd agus feumail ann an caochladh dhòigh do Ghalltachd na h-Albainn cuideachd.
Le leasachadh còr na Gàidhlig bhiodh a' Phàrlamaid a' dèanamh feum de dhualchas a tha sònraichte agus a bhiodh na neart annn a bhith a' stèidheachadh cheanglaichean ri dùthchannan eile a tha a' toirt spèis do mhion-chànanan is ceartas do dhaoine; nan leigeadh a' Phàrlamaid leis a' Ghàidhlig a dhol sìos no bàs, is e cùis nàire a bhiodh ann don dùthaich is don Phàrlamaid.
Cùm Gàidhlig Beò! Suas leis a' Ghàidhlig!
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
Good afternoon, Presiding Officer and friends. I am very pleased to be taking part in this debate. This is a very special day, not only for our Gaelic language and culture, but for the history of Scotland. It is an important and historic day for the Scottish Parliament.
Before considering our hopes and aspirations for the future of our language, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous advances that have taken place in the promotion of Gaelic language, music and culture in the past 25 years. Twenty-five years ago we had a weekly half-hour record programme on radio and no television programmes—and very little support from local authorities or public agencies.
How things have changed. We now have a national radio service through the BBC. However, it is not yet complete, with a few important gaps that we hope will be filled in the near future, which minister of state Brian Wilson asked for on the BBC recently. There are programmes on radio and TV every day and we hope to have a Gaelic channel within five years.
There have been many developments over the past few years, especially in Gaelic-medium education. There are now about 60 Gaelic units in schools and a newly designated Gaelic school in Glasgow. Perhaps the greatest disappointment has been the fact that councillors in Edinburgh have refused to designate a Gaelic school for the parents there who wanted one—but perhaps that idea will come to fruition.
There are about 2,000 pupils in those Gaelic units, which is a great development. There are also 33 Gaelic-medium nursery units, supported by Comunn Nam Pàrant. We must ensure that those initiatives are given the resources that they require to continue to grow and expand, as dictated by parental demands. It is fundamental that parental rights be recognised in law and made secure. We need to look to the future to strengthen and secure what has already been achieved without the benefit of legislation. We are looking for the same kind of security that Welsh has in Wales and English has in Scotland.
The Scottish Executive recently announced its intention to train 150 Gaelic-medium teachers over the next seven years. That is welcome, given that the shortage of such teachers is threatening the undoubted success of Gaelic-medium education.
It is important that more time and money be spent on training teachers. We have to strengthen the healthy state of Gaelic and to encourage further linguistic competence in our schools. It should be remembered that there are shortages of teachers in Gaelic-medium primary and secondary education, and that in the secondary sector there are shortages of teachers of Gaelic as a subject. More effort and resources must be quickly directed to overcome this obstacle so that we can attract and retain the quality of teachers that we require. Special consideration should be given to the needs of potential students of Gaelic-medium education in the peripheral areas.
We should have a fresh look at the issue of funding. Do we want to continue the current fragmented system, or would it be more appropriate to allocate all Government funding for Gaelic to an agreed governing body such as Comunn na Gàidhlig, who would act as agents of the Scottish Executive and be responsible to it? We are sure that Gaelic communities must have a greater say about how money is spent; we are also sure that that money must be spent from the one purse.
The success that we acknowledge today has been achieved by the dedication and hard work of many individuals, groups and agencies and by the support of all political parties. I hope that that will continue in the Scottish Parliament and I support the cross-party proposals. Furthermore, I welcome the proposed appointment of a Gaelic officer, who will keep us informed of Gaelic developments.
We must not be timid or afraid to support our language and culture, no matter how difficult or impossible such a vision may seem. Twenty-five years ago, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college in Skye, was just a dream. Today, a thriving, vibrant community lives and works at that college, doing excellent work and attracting students from many parts of the world. The newly completed Columba initiative building and the work of the Columba initiative is a testimony to the college's vision. We are also looking forward to the Gaelic task force's recommendations about the structure of Gaelic organisations.
As we are discussing minority languages, I want to give the chamber a little insight into a particular minority language issue. Papua New Guinea has a population of just under 5 million people—that is similar to Scotland's population—and consists of more than 600 islands, most of which are uninhabited. Although the country has 817 recognised living languages, the official language in the Parliament is Tok Pisin, a local form of pidgin English, which is the first language of fewer than 50,000 people or about 1 per cent of the population. Despite that, Tok Pisin has become the country's national language of governance and commerce.
Gaelic education should be treated the same as English education. The development of Gaelic would be a tribute to the Parliament's work. It is time that we gave rights to people and it would be a disgrace if the Gaelic language died out. Keep Gaelic alive!
We now move to the open part of the debate. Members will have four minutes for their speeches; they should try to stick to the timetable so that we can accommodate everyone who wishes to speak. I call Lewis Macdonald, who will address some of his remarks in Gaelic.
Tha mo nighean, Iona, dà bhliadhna an-diugh. Bhiodh m' athair, an t-Urramach Ruairidh Dòmhnallach—"Ruairidh eile"—moiteil aisde.
Mar bhàrd agus sgoilear Gàidhlig, agus mar mhinistear ann an Eaglais na h-Alba, bhiodh e moiteil cuideachd a bhith a' cluinntinn deasbad mu dheidhinn na Gàidhlig ann am Pàralamaid na h-Alba anns an togalach seo, an-diugh.
My daughter, Iona, is two years old today. My father, the Reverend Roddy Macdonald—"the other Roddy"—would have been proud of her. As a Gaelic poet and scholar, and as a minister in the Church of Scotland, he would have been proud also to hear a debate about Gaelic in the Parliament of Scotland, in this building, today.
I belong to the generation in between. When my father learned to speak English at a primary school in North Uist, Gaelic speakers could still be found as far east and south as Aberdeenshire, Blair Atholl and the isle of Arran. However, the Gaelic language was frowned upon and officially discouraged. One hundred years ago, when my grandfather went to school the punishment for speaking his first language, even in the isle of Berneray, was to have his mouth washed out with soap.
By my father's day, the hostility had lessened and, by the time I went to school in Stornoway in the 1960s, the idea that Gaelic was a barbarous and subversive language had finally died. However, my generation still grew up with the clear view that Gaelic was something that held one back in an English-speaking world. There was a policy not of suppressing Gaelic, but of allowing it to die.
For my children's generation, I am pleased to say, the situation is very different. All parties now recognise—I apologise to Mr Russell for underestimating his knowledge of Gaelic history—that the Gaelic language and culture are a living and vital part of Scotland's heritage.
It is now possible for us, if we choose, to send our two-year-old daughter, living in Aberdeen, to a Gaelic-medium parent-and-child group until she is ready for Gaelic-medium education, which is provided at the Gaelic-medium nursery unit opened last year at Gilcomstoun Primary School in my constituency and at the Gaelic-medium primary unit, also at Gilcomstoun, which has grown and flourished since 1991. Gaelic secondary education is provided at Hazlehead Academy, which was designated for that purpose by Aberdeen City Council education committee only a few weeks ago.
I welcome the approach to Gaelic-medium education that has been pursued in recent years by my city and by the Scottish Executive, funded by local and central Government. It reinforces the principle of support for Gaelic within the state system and involves the wider local community. It provides the benefits of bilingual education and ensures access for a growing number of people to the richness of Gaelic culture.
The wider bilingual and cultural agenda is an important one. Promoting Gaelic is not a matter for the schools alone. Like other members, I want to highlight the excellent work done by the fèis movement and by Fèisean nan Gàidheal. Their festivals for young people offer tuition in arts and music in a firm Gaelic-language context right across Scotland. The fèis in Aberdeen a few weeks ago was a celebration of Gaelic culture and an example of the enterprise and enthusiasm of those involved, who raised most of the funds themselves. In general, the fèis is a model initiative for community arts, and an example followed by similar festivals in other tongues, such as the Gordon Gaitherin—now the Gaitherin—in Aberdeenshire, and by festivals in other parts of Scotland and the world.
I am glad that Brian Monteith has now recognised that our links with Ireland should go beyond the football field and extend to wider cultural matters. The fèis movement has contributed greatly to those cultural links. Fèis Ròs and its counterpart in Roscommon have been linked for the past four years, bringing together young people from the Highlands and Ireland to perform, learn and simply to enjoy together their common Celtic culture.
As the minister will know, young people from North Uist and South Uist are building similar links as we speak. The Barra fèis has contributed to the development of cultural exchange between the isle of Barra and the Pacific kingdom of Tonga, which sets a good example to us all.
I hope that the minister will recognise the value of the fèis movement in the further development of support for Gaelic and in the building of links with our sister island of Ireland. Education, the arts, media and, indeed, this Parliament all have a role to play. I am glad today to support the Executive motion.
Tha mi uamhasach toilichte agus pròiseil a bhith an seo an-diugh ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Alba—an tìr is àlainne san Roinn Eòrpa. Gàidhlig—cànan Gàradh Edan. Tha mi duilich nach eil mi fileanta anns a' Ghàidhlig fhathast ach tha mi an dòchas gum bi mus bàsaich mi. Seo gealladh a thug mi dha mo bhana-charaid Kay NicMhathain, Cailleach na Cloiche. Nuair a bha mi ann an Sgoil Phàirc na Bànrighinn ann an Glaschu bha Maighistir-sgoile againn aig an robh Gàidhlig agus bha còisir Ghàidhlig ann cuideachd. Bha mi ag iarraidh gu mòr a bhith anns a' chòisir ach cha do leig e leam air sgath 's nach robh Gàidhlig agam. Bha mi a' faireachdainn coltach ris a' phàisde anns an sgeulachd ‘Am Pìobaire Breac' nach d' fhuair a-steach.
Aig an àm sin, coltach ri tòrr ann an Glaschu, bha Gàidhlig aig mo sheanmhair ach bha i den bheachd nach b' fhiach a' Ghàidhlig math dhan chloinn gun an cumail air ais. Mar sin, ged a bha m' athair na sheinneadair, cha robh e a' tuigsinn nam faclan a bha e a' seinn. Nach math a rinn An Comunn Gàidhealach a tha air a bhith a' strì cho fada airson a' Ghàidhlig a chumail beò agus airson na h-Olympics Sòisealta, Am Mòd. Tha na h-uile ag aontachadh a-nis gu bheil eòlas air dà chànan ga dhèanamh nas fhasa an treas cànan ionnsachadh. Tha e cuideachd a' cuideachadh beartais smuain oir le cànan eadar-dhealaichte tha sinn ag ionnsachadh a bhith a' smaoineachadh ann an dòighean eadar-dhealaichte. Meal-an- naidheachd don Riaghaltas againn, agus fiù 's don Riaghaltas a bh' againn, airson an ionmhais a tha a' Ghàidhlig a' faighinn. Meal-an-naidheachd do na craoladairean. Feumaidh mi a' ràdh an seo nach eil a h-uile duine ag aontachadh rium gu bheil fo—thiotalan a' còrdadh rium. Tha mise a' faireachdainn gu bheil iad a' brosnachadh luchd-ionnsachaidh. Agus meal-an-naidheachd do Shabhal Mòr Ostaig a thàinig gu faire bho thoiseach beag. Ach tha aon ghearran agam a tha mi a' cluinntinn bhon luchd-taghaidh agam—chan eil Gàidhlig gu leòr ri fhaotainn anns na sgoiltean ged a tha tòrr bhun-sgoiltean a-nis ga tairgse. Chan e mhàin gu bheil a' chànan aosda, àlainn seo na pàirt de dhualchas na h-Alba, tha i na pàirt de dhualchas na Roinn Eòrpa. Tha e mar uallach oirnn uile a bhith ga brosnachadh agus ga cuideachadh gun cùm i an t-àite sin gu bràth.
I am happy and proud to be here today in the Scottish Parliament. Gaelic is the language of Eden. I am sorry that I am not yet fluent in Gaelic. I hope to be before I die. That is a promise that I made to my friend Kay Matheson.
When I was at school in Glasgow, the headmaster had Gaelic and there was also a Gaelic choir. I had great desires to be in the choir, but the headmaster would not let me join, because I did not have Gaelic. I felt like a little piper in the story who did not get in.
Like many other people in Glasgow at the time, my grandmother was a Gaelic speaker. However, she did not think that Gaelic was of much use. Although my father was a singer, he did not understand the words that he was singing. An Comunn Gàidhealach has done well in striving for so long to keep Gaelic alive and in supporting the Mòd.
I think that everybody now agrees that bilingualism makes it a lot easier to pick up a third language. It also helps people with their imagination and with learning and thinking in different ways.
I congratulate our Government and I also praise the previous Government for the support that it gave. I also praise the broadcasters. Although everyone may not agree with me, I feel that all those whom I have just mentioned encourage learners. I also congratulate Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, which has done well from humble beginnings. I have one complaint, however: I hear that there is not enough Gaelic in schools, although many schools now offer Gaelic.
Our language is a great part of Scottish heritage, and it is a great part of European heritage. We are all responsible for encouraging the language and for ensuring that it keeps its place forever.
Mòran taing. Chan eil mòran Gàidhlig agam, ach tha mi glè mhòr as a' chànan aig na daoine 'on tàinig mi. Chan urrainn dhomh ach mo thaic a thoirt dhan Ghàidhlig, agus tha mi a' toirt taing dhan Phàrlamaid seo airson gu bheil iad a' dèanamh an dìcheil air a' chànain a chumail beò.
I do not have much Gaelic, but I am very much in favour of the language of my forebears. I can do no more than give my support to Gaelic and I thank this Parliament for doing all that it can to keep the language alive.
Gaelic may not come easy to my lips, but it is very strong in my heart.
I hope that no one will make any Gaelic interventions on me, as my mother's capacity to translate would not stretch quite that far.
I come from a family of Gaelic speakers and I was brought up in Glasgow. My family moved from the island of Tiree for work. For economic reasons, that journey, which was made in the past, continues to be made by the young from our island communities.
As members may be aware, I was the first person to speak Gaelic in a debate in the Parliament. In a way, it was fitting that the first Gaelic that should be spoken in a debate in this Parliament was not spoken by a fluent Gaelic speaker but by someone from the Gaelic diaspora, stumbling hesitantly, who lives in and represents a city that has provided a home to many Gaels over the generations. The mark of Gaelic migration remains significant in my constituency in the south of Glasgow.
When I was growing up in Glasgow, there was little support for Gaelic. We lived with cultural diversity: while the rest of the world rocked to the Beatles, we were listening to Calum Kennedy. That broad experience of being a Gael living in Glasgow led me to be hostile to any kind of nationalism that attempted to define us in terms of a narrow Scottishness to which I could not relate.
I welcome the work of the Government in the promotion of Gaelic, particularly in Gaelic-medium education. My generation lost the language partly because the importance of such an approach was not recognised. I used to go to Gaelic classes on a Saturday morning. I recall that I learned to sing "Brochan Lom"—a whole song about the importance of the consistency of porridge.
The development of a more dynamic approach to Gaelic arts and television has normalised Gaelic in the lives of our children. I heard a lot of Gaelic at home, but the Gaelic that was on television and in the national eye seemed to be all harps and high voices—a million miles away from the Gaelic humour and song and the unaccompanied psalms that I heard at home and on Tiree.
There is no doubt that, at one time, the Gaelic community feared the disadvantage of difference—a fear that is common to many of our minority and migrant groups. We should put on record our thanks to local authorities for supporting Gaelic in a new way and encouraging it as they have done.
We are learning the importance of delivering an inclusive Scotland that does not fear difference, but celebrates it and draws strength from it. We should recognise the key role that parents play in driving the agenda of Gaelic-medium education and their volunteer effort in establishing the pre-school movement. I hope that that partnership with parents will continue.
It is important that we closely monitor how Gaelic-medium education is being delivered. The power of symbolism is never lost on the Gael and the symbolism of our speaking Gaelic today has been recognised. When it comes to education, however, symbolism on its own is not enough. It is essential that the educational need is recognised and catered for as it would be in English-medium education. It is important to recognise the difficulties that might be encountered in delivering the curriculum in a Gaelic-medium education to young people from families in which no Gaelic is spoken, whom we want to encourage.
I emphasise that we should resist the inclination to take a narrow view of Gaelic arts and culture. In the Mòd, a greater emphasis on the involvement of children and on drama competitions is evident. I encourage the minister to consider any initiatives that will encourage children to use Gaelic in their normal lives when playing games and reading books. That will give my children the opportunity to have greater contact with the language than they have had.
I welcome this debate. This Parliament seeks to represent all Scotland in all its diversity. It wants to reflect on its past, draw from its past and learn for its future. Learning Gaelic and listening to Gaels will play a significant part in that.
Tapadh leibh, a Phatricia. In my brief remarks, I want to concentrate on the appointment shortly by this Parliament of a Gaelic officer and on what he or she can do to help to ensure secure status for the language. First, however, I will deal with the overall framework.
Is searbh clàrsair an aon-phuirt—harsh is the harpist with only one tune. Until today, the Scottish Parliament has had only one tune—monoglot English—with the exception of the virtuoso performances by John Munro.
Thanks to the consultative steering group and its commitment to an accessible, inclusive assembly, there is Gaelic signage throughout the Parliament—Pàrlamaid na h-Alba here, the doras a' Phobaill next door, and the Seòmraichean Comataidh down the road. Such signage, however, is mere tokenism and makes us a museum piece unless the language is actually spoken in this seòmar.
'S e obair latha tòiseachadh—it is a whole day's work just getting started. We have started, and we send our congratulations and best wishes to the minister, Alasdair Morrison, for that. The Parliament has at last begun to play another tune.
Without Gaelic, Scotland would simply not be Scotland; Gaelic is one of the forces that has shaped us. As a people, if we do not know where we have come from, how can we know where we are going?
As a language, Gaelic has suffered great violence over the centuries from the forces of centralisation. In my own family, Gaelic was beaten out of previous generations, leaving only our grannies and great-grannies spanning the generation gap with what used to be the family glue. Any violence that is done to a language is ultimately done to a people. The Edinburgh councillor who describes Gaelic-medium education as apartheid perpetuates that brutal tradition. [Applause.]
There was a time, a' Stiùiriche, when the Scottish Parliament was quadrilingual. In his Parliaments after Bannockburn, Robert the Bruce and his lieges moved easily from Scots to Gaelic to French to Latin, according to whichever language best expressed their thoughts. That is the point: language is not about datives, ablatives and subjunctive clauses; it is simply about communicating. I hope, therefore, that Gaelic speakers will be tolerant of those of us who are beginning to express something of our multiple identities.
I now turn to Oifigeir Gàidhlig na Pàrlamaid. After the most detailed consultation—in Gaelic—with the institutions of the Gaelic community, a clear job description has been drawn up and the post will be advertised shortly. He or she will be the focal point in this Parliament for external relations with the Gaelic-speaking population, facilitating two-way communication and providing a range of internal services to members and the secretariat. It is important to stress that this is a parliamentary appointment, made through the corporate body, although the office-holder will clearly have to liaise closely with the Gaelic task force of the Executive, which is responsible for policy development.
Agreement on the terminology that is to be used in this chamber, which is properly a matter for the Parliament, is an obvious case for consultation. Is Sir David our Ceann Comhairle, our head of council, our Ceann Suidhe, our head sitter, our Labhraiche, our speaker, or perhaps even our Stiùiriche—our great helmsman? All of that has still to be established.
As well as participating in the development of parliamentary terminology, the Gaelic officer will act as the Gaelic spokesperson of the Parliament, ensuring a regular flow of information to the media, the Gaelic agencies, the Gaelic diaspora and such European bodies as the Bureau for Lesser Used Languages. Those outputs will not be just in oral form; there will be Gaelic pages in the Parliament's website and in time, I trust, regular summaries of our business via Gaelic information sheets.
The officer will also facilitate timely responses from members, in Gaelic, to communications that are received in that language. I very much hope—although this is largely a matter for John McAllion and Murray Tosh, as conveners of the appropriate committees—that the Public Petitions Committee will be able to receive and respond to petitions that are received in Gaelic.
Finally, the officer will also facilitate visits by children from Gaelic-speaking units to our education centre and will operate an outreach service to their schools. The Irish consul-general is present today. I hope that the officer will establish good relations with the official translation service in the Dàil.
As I said, 'S e obair latha tòiseachadh—it is a whole day's work getting started. However, as the minister also knows, 'S e obair beatha crìochnachadh—it is a whole lifetime's work finishing the job. I wish the officer good luck.
I welcome this debate and hope that it is the first of many to examine the Gaelic language and the way in which we are promoting it.
Those who are present may wonder why I am not delivering this speech in Gaelic, my native tongue and my first language. It is because I cannot. When I started school, authorities did not provide for Gaelic speakers. Everyone who attended my first school was a native Gaelic speaker, but our teachers were not. We needed to learn English to enable us to access education. We were not beaten and we did not have our mouths washed out with soap; we were simply not understood.
That experience was widespread in the Highlands and Islands. I spoke recently to a constituent who told me that Gaelic had missed a generation in her village: children are fluent and so are their grandparents, but their parents are not. Many of those parents were in the same situation as I was and have ensured that their children have the access to Gaelic that they did not have. The Government, through education policies, has ensured that Gaelic-medium education is available in areas where there is demand, which is welcome.
However, the revival of the language is not just about education. The artistic heritage of the Highlands and western isles is based in the Gaelic language, songs and poetry. Music and dance are very much part of that heritage. As many have already said, the fèis movement has advanced music and dance by encouraging young people to take part. The fèisean are now participated in and enjoyed by many young, and many not-so-young, people. We should also remember the contribution made by the Mod not only in promoting Gaelic, but as an economic boost to the towns that host it. There is a revival of all types of art in the Highlands and Islands, promoting pride and confidence in our heritage.
Many people involved in promoting Gaelic feel that there is still much to be done. I ask them, while working towards that, not to underestimate what has been achieved—achievements that give a foundation for the future. In a few years, the children who have benefited will be in a position to carry the work forward.
Gaelic survived despite the best attempts of those in authority to discourage it. That is no longer the case. The Executive is seeking to train and recruit more Gaelic teachers; more money is being invested in Gaelic education and arts. Some people may say that that is a waste of money when we have poverty and unemployment to tackle. However, that money is tackling those issues.
Gaelic language promotion has created jobs, kept artistic talent from leaving and given a much-needed boost to economic activity. We need to build on that, ensuring that the arts support each other with a strong cultural identity that will help them access markets at home and abroad. That will, in turn, enhance the profile of Scotland and increase investment and tourism.
Ireland has led the way. The economic effect of their promoting their cultural heritage is evident—their economy is booming. Their identity is recognised throughout the world, bringing inward investment. We must catch up. In Gaelic we have a very specific heritage that can help us to do that. I urge the minister to build on the foundations that have been laid, to ensure that the Gaelic language is never again under threat.
I am speaking in this debate because I support the Gaelic language as much as the Scots language, although once again I will speak in English. I want to highlight the work of Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich, the Gaelic pre-school council, in helping to revive and promote the language and culture.
CNSA was, and still is, the only organisation in the UK funded in part by Government that provides Gaelic-medium education for pre-school children. When it began in 1982, there were only four playgroups. There are now over 120 varied pre-school groups involving approximately 2,000 children and their parents from all over Scotland. Children are immersed in the language from birth and given a taste of the culture. CNSA envisages that future Gaelic speakers will be not only fluent in the language, but confident, competent and proud of their heritage.
The Gaelic culture exists, to a large extent, in urban pockets, rural areas and on the islands, areas where there is often social deprivation. In such circumstances, CNSA groups not only offer children a place to meet, learn, play and have fun, but bring jobs—an estimated 200 full-time and 400 part-time jobs—that are important to the revitalisation of communities. As a development organisation, CNSA has been responsible for actively bringing in many people to the Gaelic cause and for providing a structure on which to progress. However, there must be long-term planning for Gaelic. What are our targets for the language? Where do we want to be in 20 years? Without information about targets it is not possible to plan properly or for those involved to identify and clarify their roles.
It is worrying that CNSA is currently receiving less funding support than ever from local authorities. Despite the huge expansion in, and promotion of, pre-school education, local authorities often do not recognise Gaelic in their planning. There is nothing about Gaelic education, pre-school or otherwise, in the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Bill. That fact has been highlighted by the National Gaelic Parents Association, which has submitted a petition to the Parliament calling for us to take active steps to recognise the validity and educational benefits of Gaelic-medium education.
Until last year, Gaelic-medium education was delivered solely in Gaelic units within English-medium schools, which caused procedural difficulties. As we have heard, that pattern is gradually changing, and there are now Gaelic-medium schools in Glasgow, the western isles and Inverness. I very much hope that our capital city, too, will have a stand-alone Gaelic-medium school, because such schools are the way ahead for Gaelic-medium education.
We have heard about the difficulty of recruiting teachers. It is interesting to note that, in the Basque country, £15 million a year is allocated to enable teachers to transfer from teaching in Spanish to teaching in Basque. Five hundred teachers are seconded every year to that programme. A similar system is being considered in Ireland. What a difference such a system would make to Gaelic-medium education in Scotland.
Finally, I echo comments in support of the fèis movement. I attended the Cèol nam Fèis concert in Inverness recently and found it a thoroughly positive experience. The fèis movement should be recognised for its value to the development of Gaelic. As more than 3,500 young people take part in fèis activities annually, other Gaelic initiatives, such as local and national mods and Gaelic arts projects, rely very heavily on the movement for participants. Those activities are often the only cultural experiences that are available to young people, including those in non-Gaelic-medium education, in many areas of Scotland. The movement is a first-class example of community-based education for young people.
I thank the minister for his motion on Gaelic and I compliment those MSPs who have participated in speaking the language. I particularly welcome the proposals to strengthen the links between the communities of Scotland and Ireland.
However, as a Lallander, I hope that the same debate can be held on the Scots language, which is widely spoken in our communities—it is more widely spoken than Gaelic. Perhaps the minister could consider how we can strengthen the links between Scots and Ulster Scots. Will the minister consider support for the Scots language? It is the language of Burns and is alive in our songs, traditions and stories. I praise those authorities that are busily engaged in promoting traditional song and language, such as West Lothian, where I attended an event at the weekend at which singers gaithered together to share songs and stories from across Scotland.
It is vital that this Parliament should support the continuation of a language that is spoken in every community in Scotland. Therefore, although I welcome the motion on Gaelic, I ask the minister to remember that the Scots mither tongue is spoken by a majority of Scots. I urge the minister to support its development and to celebrate all the languages of Scotland.
That concludes the open part of this debate. I apologise to those members who wished to speak but were not called. Mr Jamie Stone will close for the Liberal Democrats.
Mus tòisich mi, feumaidh mi aideachadh—tha mo bhràthair ann am Baile Dhùbhthaich a' dèanamh gruth.
Before I begin, I have to confess that my brother in Tain makes crowdie.
Those members who did not have their headphones on can read the Official Report later to find out what I said.
Alas, I have very little Gaelic, as it died out in my family a while back. The last speaker of Gaelic in my family was my cousin, the late Molly Macphail from Appin, who, amazingly, could speak not just Gaelic, but Arabic. Alas, she has been dead a few years.
I can offer or demand whisky—or indeed milk—in Gaelic, and I can be profane in Gaelic. I know a phrase that some members may find useful: "Tha mi ag iarraidh briogais thartain", which means, "May I have a pair of tartan trousers?" That is not a lot of use in Stornoway—except, perhaps, in a draper's shop to Sir David Steel or Menzies Campbell, who are given to tartan breeks now and again.
On a sadder note—has been very well put by other speakers—in my part of the world, Easter Ross, Gaelic was still spoken within living memory. I could refer to places such as Inver, Balintore, Shandwick and Hilton, where Gaelic died out only during the war. There are still a few words left in the local dialect, such as "robach" meaning "falling apart, ropy" or "snaideoch", meaning "a wee dram". However, the language has gone. It lingers on—just—with a few old bodachs in the village of Embo, beside Dornoch, and on the north coast, in Tongue, Melness and Talmine. In these places Gaelic is not doing too badly.
The international aspect of this issue has been mentioned, and I am very glad of that. Fairly frequently, I take my holidays in the Gaelic-speaking parts of County Donegal. I know of a lady in Benbecula who works in an old folks home, and if she speaks slowly her Irish Gaelic can be understood by the locals. There is a great link here. Reference has been made to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and its place internationally, and that cannot be stressed too much. Gaelic is an international language, with international importance, and it must be recognised.
I believe that the language has slipped in part because of snobbery. It was regarded as scruffy to speak Gaelic. It was a tinkers' language—I make no apologies for using that word, pejorative though it is. I always say to Gaelic friends, "Don't be so dashed polite". People in a pub in a place such as Castlebay will break into English if they think that there is a non-Gaelic speaker among them. I found Donnie Munro, Norman Gillies, Farquhar Macintosh and John Farquhar Munro breaking into English before today's debate, just because I was there.
However, I want to draw attention to some positive developments. I pay tribute to the fèisean movement, which is a fairly new development but has underpinned Gaelic in a huge way. I have had a close connection with Fèis Ross, and my children have been part of it. It is a combination of culture, music and language, and the whole thing is a fine experience. The Scottish Arts Council has been very good about backing it.
We have a Gaelic-medium unit in my home town of Tain. Mhairi Forbes, a lassie in my daughter's class, in sixth year, is a beautiful Gaelic speaker, one of the gems who is emerging at the end of the educational process. Her example proves that Gaelic-medium education really works. I can assure members that Mhairi's family was not Gaelic speaking.
I highlight the importance of getting the teachers that are needed into the profession fast. The Gaelic-medium unit in Tongue was in a spot of bother for some time, because of the lack of a teacher. I know that the minister recognises how essential this is, but we must keep the teachers coming forward. Perhaps we could encourage people to switch professions.
The minister described Gaelic as a precious jewel within the heart and soul of Scotland, and that is very true. I am glad that the minister has done what he has done, and I congratulate him on that. However, if we do not put our shoulder to the wheel—if we do not put our money where our mouth is—it will be not much better than speaking the New Guinean language in a storm.
I call Jamie McGrigor to wind up on behalf of the Conservative party.
Tapa leibh a Chinn Comhairle. Rinn ochd bliadhna deug de na Tòraidhean feum do-labhairt do Chànan nan Gàidheal.
Presiding Officer, I was informing the Deputy Minister for Highlands and Islands and Gaelic that 18 years of Conservative Government were brilliant for Gaelic. I hope that, just for once, he will be good enough to acknowledge that, instead of lambasting the Tories as he normally does.
As Brian Monteith has said, the situation that we inherited in 1979 was dire. He has given the figures—£12.5 million represented a 7,500 per cent increase on what had been invested before. We gave the original £8 million that kick-started a success story. An industry has developed in the Highlands and Islands, and along with many Gaelic television production companies has come an expansion into information technology provision. The Gaelic base, financed in many cases by work that has been generated by that £8 million, has allowed those companies to expand into editing, business, IT functions and technology jobs, many of which are based in homes throughout the islands. If those organisations have a firm base, they will feel more confident about undertaking new ventures.
Protecting and promoting the great Gaelic language and culture means protecting and promoting the people from whom it comes. I was horrified to hear a prediction that the population of the western isles will decrease by 14 per cent over the next 10 years. That would be a disaster for Gaelic. The Government must do all that it can to support the fragile economy and reverse that worrying trend. Good investment in Gaelic is one way of doing that, but just to maintain the present number of Gaelic speakers, we need to increase the number of Gaelic students five times over. It is vital that we increase the level of investment in Gaelic education.
We need continued education in the Gaelic medium and a continuation of the grants that were started by the Conservative Administration for the making of Gaelic television programmes. I will go further and call for a dedicated Gaelic TV channel. Gaelic needs the chance to survive against the other strong cultures that enter our households through television. Far too many of today's Gaelic programmes do not begin until long after midnight. That is surely a waste of money, as so few people see them, especially the young people whom we are trying to encourage.
We must never forget the wonderful work that is done by the Gaelic radio stations. We should ensure that BBC Gaelic radio can be picked up everywhere in Scotland. At the moment, there are some black spots where it cannot be heard very well.
Encouragement of the young is vital. In Galway, Connemara, there are shops full of books written in Gaelic, which are bought and read in particular by the young. We should examine the success that the Irish have had in protecting their Gaelic and take note of their methods. We should also look to Wales, where Welsh was awarded equal validity with English in 1993. We should give Gaelic that kind of secure status in Scotland and give parents the right to have their children taught in Gaelic. In that way, we could establish a firm foundation for Gaelic within our society.
There is a huge tradition of Gaelic poetry and song, which is history that we should be proud of and nurture. There are great poets from the past, such as Duncan Ban Macintyre of Argyll, whose eulogy to Ben Dorain will never be forgotten, and others, such as Alexander Macdonald from Dalallie in Moidart, who wrote the famous poem "The Birlinn of Clanranald". There was also William Ross from Skye, and the great Sorley Maclean, who sadly died in Taynuilt last year. We also have modern bands that do a great job for Gaelic, such as Capercaillie and that other wee band, Runrig, which is not doing too badly either, although heaven knows who buys its records.
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of Gaelic. Gaelic is different and has bred different values. Things such as silent Sundays in Stornoway or guga hunting from Ness appear as peculiarities to us, but are quite normal to the inhabitants of those areas. The Parliament should respect local traditions. Traditions and traditional industries are vital and have helped to inspire our culture. The new industries will undoubtedly do so too, because culture stems from what a person hears, sees and does.
At the beginning of this century, children were forbidden to speak Gaelic, their native language, in the school playground. Language is the basic fabric of our culture and we owe past generations a debt. We can now repay that debt in part through our support for Gaelic.
There are many Gaelic songs, for example, about waulking the tweed; I look forward to hearing a new Gaelic song on hacking the computer before too long.
Let all parties in the Parliament work together for the benefit and future of Gaelic. Let us push for a dedicated Gaelic school at Tollcross, in our capital. If that school started with fewer than the 90 pupils who seem to be required, interest in the subject would soon increase that number. Such recognition of Gaelic in Edinburgh would further unite the highlands and lowlands of this fabulous country and give our young people a great sense of pride in their famous history.
I call Mike Russell to close the debate for the Scottish National party. I believe that Mr Russell will address some of his remarks in Gaelic.
Presiding Officer, I will make very few remarks in Gaelic. I have not quite run out of Gaelic, but I suspect that the patience of the native Gaelic speaker will have run out with my Gaelic, particularly as this debate is being broadcast live on Radio nan Gàidheal. I will be brief.
I am grateful to Lewis Macdonald for acknowledging that my history was correct. However, the information was prepared by the people who work with me. I think that all the parties have dedicated teams who have an enthusiasm for Gaelic and who wish to ensure that Gaelic does well.
However, before this debate ends, it is appropriate to pay tribute to those who are not with us. In particular, I think of the late Donnie Stewart, who was MP for Western Isles. I am glad that members showed that appreciation for him, as, on several occasions, Donnie tried to introduce a bill to give official status to Gaelic in the House of Commons. He spoke in Gaelic in the House of Commons and was constantly rebuked by the Speaker. Thank goodness that we live in more enlightened times.
I also want to pay tribute to Margaret Ewing, who tabled an amendment to the Scotland Bill to allow debates with simultaneous translation, such as this debate, to take place. Indeed, it was a concession, after Margaret's prompting, that allowed us to have this debate today.
There is a phrase in Gaelic, "mì-rùn mòr nan Gall", which means "the southerner's great hatred". I hope that the speeches that we have heard today address some of the wrongs that have been done. Many of the attitudes that existed elsewhere in Scotland created great difficulties for Gaelic, as we have heard again and again. The minister was right to say that the great step forward has been the absence of malice.
But that is not enough. We must build on the good will that is found both in this Parliament and among many people in Scotland, to ensure that, as Cathy Peattie rightly said, all Scotland's languages flourish. That should apply not only to Gaelic, Scots and English but to Pakistani languages such as Urdu and others such as Mandarin Chinese.
We must redress the balance and invest in the future of Gaelic. Actions speak louder than words, and I am grateful for the actions of this Executive and for those of the Conservative Government, which I very rarely praise.
Why break the habit of a lifetime?
Sam Galbraith knows that the Tories always become over-excited when praised, because it happens so rarely. On this one occasion, I pay tribute to them, and to Malcolm Rifkind in particular, for their investment in Gaelic. However, I am afraid that one swallow does not make a summer. The Tory amendment is nonsense and was lodged only to try to dress opted-out schools in Gaelic clothing. I hope that all members will reject it.
This Administration faces the great responsibility of investing in the future of Gaelic. Those of us who met the representatives of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig this morning know that resources will make the difference. A start has been made, but more must be done. We will return to Gaelic as the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Bill progresses.
It is appropriate for me, in closing, to repeat the remarks that I made in Gaelic in my opening speech. We praise the minister for securing this debate today. Certainly, we praise the Executive—[Interruption.] That praise is also unusual, Mr Galbraith, but today is an exceptional day for kindness—[Interruption.] I must admit that the sight of Mr Galbraith blowing kisses at me is one of the most frightening things I have ever seen. I hope that it was picked up by the cameras. Perhaps it happened because I no longer have a beard—twice in one day, too. I will not take my eyes off him.
We praise the Executive and will support what it is trying to do. However, it is our duty as an Opposition to continue to press constructively for further investment and development in Gaelic. I look forward to working with the Executive and with all members of this Parliament to secure a place for Gaelic and to ensure that it lives on in Scotland.
Tapa leibhsa, Ceann Comhairle. Chan eil fhios agam dè bhios agam ri dhèanamh airson mo charaid Sam Mac Ille Bhreatanaich agus an trom ghaol a tha eadar e fhèin agus Mìcheal Russel air tighinn am bàrr an-diugh ach, co-dhiù, bheir mi taic do Mhaighistir Mac Ille Bhreatanaich a-mach às an t-seòmar ma tha e ag iarraidh a leithid a thaic. Tha mi a' smaoineachadh gun robh an-diugh, mar a thuirt iomadach duine, math, eachdraidheal a-thaobh na cànain agus gu h-àraid a thaobh na Pàrlamaid a chaidh a stèidheachadh dìreach bho chionn beagan mhìosan. Lem fhaclan tòiseachaidh chuir mi fàilte air ar caraid, Ard Chonsalach na h-Eirinn Dan Mullhall. Bu toigh leam cuideachd, le ur cead, Ceann Comhairle, fàilte a chur air sgoilearan bho air feadh na dùthcha, sgoilearan a tha a' frithealadh aonadan Gàidhlig, tha mi a' tuigsinn à Dun Eideann, à Glaschu agus tha mi a' tuigsinn cuideachd à Lannraig a Deas agus Lannraig a Tuath. Ge bith co às a tha iad, tha sinne mar is tric' agus minic mar a bhios sinn, a' cur fàilte air a' chloinn sin.
A' tionndadh a-nis gu fiosrachadh a thàinig dìreach bho chionn beagan mhionaidean, agus tha mi gu mòr an comain mo charaid Brian MacUilleam, Ministear na Stàite.
I do not know what I would have to do to deserve the same love from Sam Galbraith that he has shown to Mike Russell. If he needs my assistance, I will be happy to help Sam out of the chamber.
This debate has been a historic landmark in the language, happening as it did so soon after the Parliament was set up. I thank Dan Mulhall for attending today's debate, and I also thank the children from Tollcross primary school and from north and south Lanarkshire who are here. We always welcome children to the gallery.
I turn now to some information that I received a couple of minutes ago from my colleague Brian Wilson. I have recently learned that the British Government—
Mr Morrison, we appear to have lost the translation. Perhaps you can help us out.
Until the temporary glitches are fixed, I will be happy to continue in English.
I am grateful to my friend Brian Wilson, Minister of State at the Scotland Office. He informs me that, in Strasbourg, the UK Government has today signed the European charter on regional and minority languages, and that Gaelic will be specified in part 3 of that charter. That announcement was made in both Houses of Parliament this afternoon.
That is welcome news—please excuse me, Presiding Officer, I am trying to translate from my Gaelic notes.
The interpretation system is now working, minister.
Thàinig fiosrachadh gu bheil Riaghaltas Bhreatainn air an ainm a chur ri Charter Eòrpach airson na Mion Chànain. Tha mi a' tuigsinn bho Mhaighistir MacUilleam gun deach sin ainmeachadh an-diugh ann an dà thaigh na Pàrlamaid ann an Lunnain agus ‘s e naidheachd dha-rìribh a tha sin. Tha e a' dearbhadh a-rithist mar a tha an Riaghaltas, an dà chuid ann an Westminster agus a bhos a-seo, a' cur taic ri mion-chànain na dùthcha.
A thaobh an eadar-thangachaidh, chuir e beagan ioghnaidh orm a bhith a' faicinn aon de na Buill Tòraidheach fiù 's fhad 's a bha Beurla ga bruidhinn gu robh e a' cumail clogaidean nan cluasan air. Sin agaibh Maighstir Johnstone ach 's dòcha gum faigh sinn freagairt bhuaidhe a-rithist mu dheidhinn sin.
Thog fear dhe na Buill, Lewis Dòmhnallach, puing dha rìribh agus bu toigh leamsa mo bheachd a chur ris na thuirt e. Dh'ainmich e athair, nach maireann, an t-Urramach Ruairidh Dòmhnallach, a bha na shàr ghaisgeach ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig. Dh'eadar-theangaich Maighistir Dòmhnallach a h-uile lide a sgrìobh Burns, am bàrd nàiseanta, gu Gàidhlig agus 's e obair ionmholta dha rìribh a bha sin.
Thog Maighistir Dòmhnallach puing a bha cuideachd cudromach a' sealltainn mar a tha sinn air adhartas a dhèanamh sna bliadhnachan a tha air a dhol seachad. Sin agad gu bheil roghainn aigesan a-nis fuireach ann an Obar Dheathain, a phàisde, nach eil ach dà bhliadhna dh'aois, a chur a dh'ionnsaidh cròileagan Gàidhlig.
A' tionndadh gu beachdan a nochd a Bhean-phòsda Ewing, tha mi ag aontachadh leatha gu mòr leis na thuirt i mu dheidhinn a' Chomuinn Ghàidhealaich agus am piseach agus an taic a thug iad dhan chànain thairis air a' cheud bliadhna a dh'fhalbh. Tha mi cuideachd ag aontachadh rithe a thaobh a bhuannachd a tha co-cheangailte ri dà-chànanas.
Bu toigh leam cuideachd 's dòcha rud a thaobh eachdraidh na togalaich seo a cheartachadh. Tha mo charaid, Iain Fearchar Rothach, mar Ghàidheal, agus Gàidheal gleusda cuideachd, air cliù a chosnadh dha fhèin mar neach a labhair a' chiad briathran Gàidhlig anns a' Phàrlamaid seo. Chan eil sin fìor a Cheann Comhairle. 'S i mo bhana-charaid Seonag NicLaomain à Pollock a labhair a' chiad facal Gàidhlig sa Phàrlamaid seo.
Thog Seonag NicLaomain puingean cudromach a thaobh baile Ghlaschu agus mar a tha an dà choimhearsnachd an sin, na Gàidheil agus a' bhuaidh a thug sinn air a bhaile mhìorbhailleach a tha sin agus tha sinne mar Riaghaltas a' dèanamh gu leòr airson feuchainn ri coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig, na Gàidheil, a tharraing còmhla agus cuideachd ann an ionad a tha mi an dòchas a bhios suidhichte an-sin ann a dhà na trì bhliadhnaichean far am bi na Gàidheil agus cuideachd Gàidheil na h-Eirinn a' tighinn còmhla oir tha ceangal cho làidir agus cho domhainn.
Nis, a' tionndadh gu briathran a thog mo charaid Jamie Stone. A h-uile turas a tha Jamie Stone ag èirigh gu chasan, feumaidh e innse dhan Phàrlamaid gu bheil gnìomhachas gruth aig a bhràthair. Tha mi toilichte innse dha na Buill a bha trang agus nach b' urrainn a bhith an làthair tron deasbad air fad, gun do rinn Maighistir Stone sin ann an cànan nan Gàidheal.
Thog Maighistir Stone puing chudromach cuideachd—gainnead luchd-teagaisg. Tha sinn ag aithneachadh sin oir tha sinn a' cur cudrom mhòr air foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Tha sinn ag iarraidh a bhith a' faicinn leasachaidhean a' cumail a' dol a thaobh na Gàidhlig. Tha sinn air barrachd airgid a chur an-sàs airson cothrom a thoirt do luchd-teagaisg anns na h-àrd sgoiltean gu sònraichte, a' dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil iad air an uidheamachadh airson cuspairean a theagasg tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Bho chionn trì mìosan bha mi thall ann am Bail' Ath Cliath agus thadhail mi air àrd-sgoil Gàidhlig anns a' bhaile sin. Ochd ceud sgoilear, agus a h-uile cuspair ga theagasg tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Sgoil dha-rìribh agus, aon latha, sin an rud air am bu chòir dhuinne a bhith ag amas air ann an Alba. Bheir e ùine, ach tha aon rud cinnteach, tha Riaghaltas againn a' gluasad a dh'ionnsaigh a' chinn-uidhe sin.
A-rithist, thog Seòras Reid puingean chudromach, a' ràdh gu bheil Gàidhlig cudromach mar chànan. Tha sinne air soighnichean Gàidhlig agus dà-chànanach a chur mu thimcheall na Pàrlamaid seo. Tha sin mìorbhailleach. Ach an-diugh, Ceann Comhairle, tha sinn air sin a thoirt ceum nas fhaide agus, gu dearbh fhèin, tha mi a' toirt làn thaice dha na beachdan a nochd mo charaid Seòras Reid.
That makes things a little bit easier for me. Today's announcement is great news and confirms that the Government, in Westminster and here, supports minority languages in Scotland.
It puzzled me to see Alex Johnstone of the Tory party with his earphones on, even when there was no translation to be heard.
Lewis Macdonald made a significant contribution, and I would like to add to what he said. He mentioned his father, the late Rev Roddy Macdonald, who was a hero in the Gaelic world. Mr Macdonald translated into Gaelic every poem that Robert Burns ever wrote. Lewis Macdonald also talked about how we have progressed over the years so that his own child now has the chance to benefit from Gaelic-medium education.
I agree with what Winnie Ewing said about An Comunn Gàidhealach and how it has supported the language during the past 100 years. I also agree with her views on the advantages of bilingualism.
I would also like to clear up a point about the history of this building. John Farquhar Munro is credited with speaking Gaelic for the first time in this Parliament, but it was my friend Johann Lamont, the member for Glasgow Pollok, who did so. She made some important points about Glasgow and the great impact that highlanders have had on that beautiful city. We are trying to create a Gaelic community there and I hope that our plans will come to fruition with the opening in a few years' time of a new Gaelic centre.
With regard to what Jamie Stone said, every time Jamie rises to his feet, he has to tell everybody that his brother has a crowdie-making company. I would like to tell Parliament and those who are busy and could not be here for the whole of the debate that he said it in Gaelic also. He made an important point about the dearth of Gaelic teachers. We acknowledge that. We are placing great emphasis on Gaelic-medium education, and we want those developments to be enhanced. I wish to provide more money so that teachers in secondary schools are properly prepared to teach subjects in Gaelic. A short while ago, I was in Dublin. I went to a school with 800 pupils, in which every subject was taught in Gaelic. It is an exceptional school. That is what we in Scotland should be aiming for. Our Government is moving towards that.
George Reid made a few important points. Gaelic is important as a language. We have bilingual signs in the Parliament, which is great, but today we are going a step further. I fully support what George Reid said.
Tha thu na do dhuine òg is àlainn.
Alasdair is a lovely young man.
Does the minister welcome the setting up of a cross-party Gaelic group to promote the language? I believe that we have enough cross-party support for such a group, but I hope that more members will indicate that they will join.
'S e a' chiad rud a dh'fheumas mi fàilte a chur air—na ciad bhriathran a labhair a' bhean-phòsda Nic a' Mhaolain. Tha mi gu dearbh a' cur fàilte air an naidheachd gu bheil tòrr Bhuill a-nis, bho gach pàrtaidh,a' tighinn còmhla agus tha mi a' cur meal-an-naidheachd air a' bhean-phòsda Nic a' Mhaolain airson a' ghlauasad sin a dhèanamh.
Mar a thuirt mi, Ceann Comhairle, tha mi ag iarraidh a-nis tionndadh, anns a' mhionaid mu dheireadh, gu prìomh chuspair ar seanachais an-diugh agus ann am faclan crìochnachaidh, a thaobh foghlaim gu sònraichte. Tha mise, Ceann Comhairle, a' toirt cuiridh do gach neach tuilleadh fiosrachaidh a shireadh mu fhoghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Tron fhiosrachaidh sin chì iad gu bheil Gàidhlig ùrail, inntinneach, fosgailte, fialaidh agus feumail. Chì iad nach eil doilgheas no bacadh sam bith an cois dà-chànanas is ioma-cànanas. Ceann Comhairle, tha nighean bheag agamsa, Ceitidh, agus chan eil i ach beagan is bliadhna dh'aois. Chan eil i, mar a dhùilicheadh sibh, uamhasach fileanta ann an cànan sam bith fhathast. Ach 's e mo làn dhòchais, ma bhios i air a cùnadh, gum bi Gàidhlig is Beurla aice agus, tha mi 'n dòchas, cànanan eile cuideachd nuair a dh'èireas i suas. Bhithinn an dòchas gum biodh iomadach leanabh eile aig am biodh an aon chothrom.
Ceann Comhairle, tha bruach cas againn ri dhìreadh, ach tha seann fhacal againn ann an Gàidhlig a tha radha gur e anail a' Ghàidheil am mullach. Ceann Comhairle, tha e a' toirt tlachd dha-rìribh dhòmhsa a bhith, às leth an Riaghaltais, a' gluasad a' mholaidh seo.
I welcome Maureen Macmillan's first words. I also welcome the news that members from different parties are coming together for the cross-party group.
I wish to address the main points of our debate today. With regard to education, I invite everyone to seek more information about Gaelic-medium education. Through that information, they will see that Gaelic is vibrant, exciting, open, genial and useful. They will see that there is no threat or obstacle from bilingualism or multilingualism. I have a wee girl, Katie, who is little more than a year old. So far, she is not terribly fluent in any language, but she will have Gaelic and English and, I hope, other languages when she grows up. I hope that many other children will have the same opportunity.
The Gael will not rest until he reaches the summit. It has been a great pleasure for me, on behalf of the Government, to move the motion.