Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, April 15, 2010

Official Report 965KB pdf

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Gaelic (Action Plan)

Feasgar math, a chàirdean. Seo iomairt chudromach, agus tha mi toilichte a bhith an sàs anns an deasbad seo an-diugh.





Gaelic is more than a language—Gàidhlig, còrr is cànan. The motion emphasises Gaelic’s value to Scotland, its fragile condition and the need for urgent action. The Parliament has collectively supported Gaelic. All the parties that are represented here have contributed to and supported Gaelic initiatives at national and constituency levels. Just last week, Glasgow City Council launched its Gaelic plan, the University of Glasgow established a chair of Gaelic, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig announced record numbers for its Easter courses and an exhibition of the work of Gaelic pupils opened at the Fruitmarket gallery in Edinburgh.

However, despite all parties’ efforts, a challenge still faces Gaelic. Last year, the Scottish Government said that we wished to develop an initiative that is aimed at increasing the numbers of Gaelic speakers, to safeguard the language’s future. We have found widespread support for that in our many discussions with interested parties.

Our request to Bòrd na Gàidhlig for an action plan emerged from the desire to create a secure future for Gaelic in Scotland. That must remain our goal. If we have an impressive Gaelic infrastructure, yet speaker numbers continue to decline, that will not serve us well. I acknowledge the bòrd’s support and co-operation in the process and thank it for its work in providing the action plan, which was published earlier this week.

Our aim is to increase the number of Gaelic speakers. The bòrd has identified action areas, which are key areas of Gaelic development, and initiatives that can help to make the progress that is needed. The Scottish Government fully agrees with the bòrd’s analysis of current needs and about the importance of the action areas that are identified.

The bòrd’s action plan contains five priority action areas. We expect that several important actions in the plan, including parent support and Gaelic promotion, can be included under the three headings of Gaelic-medium early years provision, Gaelic adult education and Gaelic-medium education in schools. Our response focused on those categories.

The initiative does not undermine the efforts and campaigns of many Gaelic interests over the years, but it means a renewed emphasis and a refocusing of effort. We will continue to recognise the crucial importance of Gaelic plans, Gaelic broadcasting, Gaelic publishing, Gaelic arts and Gaelic education at all levels. Our aim will be to strengthen them.

Our top priority must be a focus on initiatives that have the potential to increase the learning and—most important—the use of Gaelic. We agree with the bòrd that early years promotion is critical. More young people need to learn Gaelic from an early stage and go on to Gaelic-medium education in primary school. To achieve that, a new initiative is needed in the sector to support early years Gaelic provision and support councils in relation to Gaelic pre-school provision. We look to the bòrd to develop practical proposals on how progress can be made with the new initiative in early years Gaelic learning.

The Scottish Government also agrees with the bòrd that momentum needs to be maintained on a range of matters that relate to Gaelic-medium education. My colleague Michael Russell will develop that subject in his speech. We need to ensure that good support is in place to assist with the progress that we would like on establishing Gaelic classes and schools.

A number of council Gaelic-medium projects have benefited from support over recent years. We are keen to find ways of supporting new projects that will assist the sector to expand and contribute to our overall aim of increasing the number of Gaelic speakers. We are confident that the strategic use of available Gaelic funding and closer working with the bòrd will enable us to make progress in that area.

To support our focus on early years and Gaelic-medium education, I am pleased to announce an additional £100,000 to support primary education and the bòrd’s work in early years. The funding will be used, first, to address pressure at Edinburgh’s Tollcross primary school, where a record intake of 43 pupils is set for enrolment this August, by providing a second Gaelic primary 1 class, and, secondly, to help to kick-start the bòrd’s work in early years. The funding demonstrates our commitment to acting quickly on the measures that are outlined in Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s action plan, which was published this week. We are confident that the action plan is a strong foundation for support in education. Working with the bòrd, we will consider how further legislation could assist in making Gaelic-medium education more accessible in the future.

We agree with the bòrd’s assessment that adult Gaelic learning is essential. Work in that area will cover a wide range of activity, including addressing ulpan’s current development needs, Gaelic e-learning, workplace learning and parent learning. It is vital that Gaelic learning at further education and higher education level and distance learning opportunities should be part of any adult learning strategy.

It is important that Pauline McNeill highlights the wider family. Does she recognise that, within the action plan, Bòrd na Gàidhlig specifically tries to identify easy and accessible support for parents to help the family learning that she has identified? The children might draw the parents in, but we need to ensure that the family is supported.

Use of broadcasting and work with BBC Alba, in particular, will provide opportunities. That is one of the areas in which there can be early action to ensure that there is coverage. I am not sure that I recall the television programme to which the member refers, but I recognise that the use of broadcasting is important in mainstreaming the availability of Gaelic. We should recognise the impact that Gaelic has had in the early years, in particular.

We will look to the bòrd to take forward work on adult education, to allow ulpan to develop more, and to consider what practical structural proposals should be put in place to support ulpan and other Gaelic adult learning opportunities.

In its action plan, Bòrd na Gàidhlig indicates that it is important that current delivery mechanisms operate as an effective network for the promotion of Gaelic. We expect the bòrd to ensure that the funding that it allocates to Gaelic groups is achieving its purpose. I note the comments in Pauline McNeill’s amendment. It is important that we constantly review funding and delivery, and I will ask the bòrd to review its funding of and delivery by the organisations that it supports. I will also ask it to consider where we can make quick progress. For example, there is potential for demonstrating quick progress with ulpan, working with MG Alba on the planned learners website and more.

Further to Jamie Stone’s point, I note the development that has taken place and the technology that is now available. The website was not available previously, but we can now link together different media to draw people into learning Gaelic. We should use contemporary means and methods to do that. We understand that work with MG Alba can move forward quickly, so we expect quick progress in that area and on ulpan. We would welcome the bòrd’s clear views on the initiatives that offer the potential for prompt delivery.

As the bòrd takes forward work in the key areas of early years provision, adult learning and school learning, we expect it to ensure that those have a central place both in the Gaelic plans that are being developed and in community initiatives. The point of the progress that we are making and of the action plan is to ensure that there is momentum, pace, a sense of urgency and an emphasis on delivery in what we do on Gaelic. A great deal has been achieved, and the Parliament has put in place a great deal of institutional support. We now need practical measures. The bòrd has come up with a series of such measures in its action plan.

I also want to use this debate to express the Scottish Government’s concern about the BBC trust’s recent decision to delay its decision on BBC Alba and Freeview. The Parliament agreed to a motion that made clear its unanimous cross-party support for putting BBC Alba on Freeview. Our position remains that BBC Alba should have access to Freeview, and I will continue to pursue that with the BBC trust.

Our reasons for asking the bòrd for an action plan are straightforward. The Scottish Government recognises that Gaelic is more than a language—Gàidhlig, corr is cànan—and, as such, it strengthens and enriches many aspects of Scotland’s social, cultural and economic life.

In New York during Scotland week, while promoting Scottish design and fashion, I met two Scottish designers, Judy Clark and Alison Macleod, whose designs are deeply rooted in Scotland while clearly appealing to an international audience. Alison’s designs feature Gaelic prose sewn and embroidered into the garment. In that way, Gaelic can truly be described as part of the fabric of Scottish society. In Tennessee, I was delighted to hear Dundee-born Laura McGhee’s music, which in one song combined a Gaelic waulking song with traditional American gospel music. Such musical links are another example of the ability of the Gaelic language to enrich our culture. Gaelic is more than a language.

Most of those wider aspects depend on the continued existence in Scotland of a living language. It is right that wider aspects of Gaelic should be valued and should continue to be promoted, but our current focus is on initiatives that have the potential to increase the size of the speech community. It is, therefore, our strong view that specific initiatives need to be put in place that are designed with the clear purpose of increasing the numbers of speakers and thus securing the future of Gaelic in Scotland.

We believe that Gaelic is more than a language and that, as such, it enriches many aspects of Scottish life. If we lose that language community, we will lose more than a language; we will lose a speech community that enriches our current cultural life and gives us an enduring link to our land, our heritage and our past. Mòran taing.

I move,

That the Parliament recognises that Gaelic is more than a language and, as such, it strengthens and enriches many aspects of Scotland’s social, cultural and economic life; also recognises that the current condition of Gaelic needs urgent attention, and welcomes the programme of action provided by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, which is designed to achieve the outcome of increasing the number of Gaelic speakers and bring renewed attention to the important place that Gaelic holds in Scotland.

15:07

Like other members, I very much welcome the action plan, which I regard as an attempt to bring more focus to the work of Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the previously agreed national plan and to drive specific action to increase language acquisition more quickly than would otherwise be the case. I welcome all that.

I know from comments that were made to me during my time as a minister with responsibility for Gaelic that Bòrd na Gàidhlig has not had an easy start in life, to put it mildly. There were many key personnel changes at key moments—and the board is currently looking for a chief executive. Many people in the Gaelic community were frustrated with the progress that the board was able to make. A criticism that I used to hear was that everything was a priority. That is easy to understand, because when we are trying to save a language there is an awful lot to be done. If the action plan is successful in providing a better focus for the board and its work, I will very much welcome that.

However, the action plan is pretty broad and contains a curious mix of outcomes that are highly specific and measurable and outcomes that are not at all specific or measurable. In key respects it is highly ambitious. That is not a bad thing. It is important to be ambitious for the language. However, I wonder how realistic and achievable some of the targets are. Having said that, given the broad intention that is expressed in the objectives, I very much wish the approach well.

An attempt to reverse the decline of a language presents a big challenge, but I remain more optimistic than ever about the prospects of success. I will cover some of the ground that Ted Brocklebank covered, because I have been reflecting, in much the same way as he has been doing—that must be a feature of men of our age, although I am much younger than Ted, as members can see—on the past 25 years, during which time I have had some involvement in Gaelic development.

Twenty-five years ago, Gaelic development as a concept was in its infancy. I well remember visiting the offices of An Comunn Gàidhealach in Church Street in Inverness, to talk to the officials about their work, which focused on the Mod but also supported adult learning programmes and a number of Gaelic societies across the Highlands and Islands and in Glasgow and other cities.

I remember the work that was done by Grampian Television and I pay due tribute to Ted Brocklebank for his important role in that. The BBC, too, was responsible for some important Gaelic programming in those days, even if programmes sometimes went out very late at night or early in the morning.

I have watched—and helped a bit with—the growth of Gaelic-medium education. I remember the scepticism about the issue in the early days, not least from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education. I am glad that that has changed over the years. I have watched Gaelic-medium education grow and grow; there are now more than 60 units. I watched the start and growth of the Gaelic playgroup movement, which is to be encouraged. The first secondary school, in Pauline McNeill’s constituency in Glasgow, is a relatively recent and important development. The first stand-alone primary schools are beginning to emerge. Gaelic-medium education teacher numbers have grown and grown, although there remain challenges.

Does the member agree that one of the arguments for Gaelic-medium education is to do with the strength that bilingualism brings? I think that that shows the progress that has been made in recent years, in which the member played a part when he was Minister for Education and Young People.

I welcome the debate and fully support all those members, such as Alasdair Allan, who have the right to choose to speak Gaelic—their own language—and have it translated into English, so that people such as me can understand the good value of their speeches.

We are all proud of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 and the key role that it has played in working out how we can sustain and promote the Gaelic language and Gaelic culture in Scotland. The case for Gaelic is well made, and we are all committed to taking it forward in the way in which the act intended. In previous debates, we have all celebrated the importance of Gaelic. Those of us who had not spoken the language in the past have indulged in speaking it, and we have talked about its historical and economic importance. The Labour Party gives the Government its full support in taking the action plan forward.

BBC Alba has been a critical instrument in spreading the availability of Gaelic and Gaelic culture—we have debated that many times in the Parliament.

We are making progress, and the action plan is about how to make that progress a reality. However, this debate is about getting down to the business of putting the language plan into action, and getting into the detail of how we can deliver for the Gaelic community and for Gaelic. The Labour amendment simply seeks to ensure that Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s key role is supported by the Scottish Government, because the bòrd’s plans are ambitious and they are to be achieved within existing resources. We simply wanted the Government’s assurance that it will keep the position under review, and I am pleased to hear that it will.

We will also support the Tory amendment in Ted Brocklebank’s name. There is no harm in learning from other countries. Although I have no specific knowledge of the New Zealand experience, my colleague Peter Peacock will probably mention it in his speech.

It is important to have a baseline so that we know where we started from. In my research for the debate, I found it difficult to establish a baseline so that I could measure the progress that we have made since the 2005 act was passed. From the 2001 census, we know that we have just under 60,000 Gaelic speakers, and many performance indicators in the action plan are very ambitious, so it is important to have a critique of them. I suggest in the nicest possible way that some of the targets are perhaps overambitious. We need to go through them in some detail to ensure that we have focus.







I would have liked to have seen a summary of the progress that we have made to date. Although I scanned the Scottish Government’s website and spoke to our own information service, I really have a difficulty with the 2005 starting point. I do not know whether the minister will be able to assist with that, but it is important that she is able to measure what the action plan will achieve.

I would like to think that, in signing off the action plan, ministers have tested each and every target, because we need to keep our feet on the ground and focus on delivering what can be achieved. I would also like to hear from ministers the reasons for the delay in the publication of the Scottish Government’s own language plan. I know that it is due to be published soon, but the wrong signal is sent if the Government has not published its language plan when the Parliament has already published one.

I will talk about some of the detail in the action plan. I have read through it and it appears to me that a key theme is the role of schools in growing the language. I welcome what the minister said this week about trebling the number of Gaelic-medium schools. I declare an interest in that, as the Glasgow Gaelic school, which has been a good model, is in my constituency. Created in 2006, it has proved to be a remarkable success not only as a primary and secondary school but as a resource for the growing number of Gaelic-speaking families. I also welcome the recent grant allocation of £500,000, which the school was able to put to very good use. The money enabled it to create and open up more classrooms to improve the school environment.

With 102 pupils in the secondary part of the school, we are beginning to see the challenges that having six secondary years—we now have a sixth year—brings to Gaelic-medium teaching. It brings into sharp focus our lack of progress in persuading teachers to teach their subjects in Gaelic.

The school is thriving, and my dream is that the people whom I represent in Anderston, where the school is located, will choose it as their local school, as evidence shows that teaching five-year-old children to speak Gaelic means that they are more predisposed towards learning other languages.

However, there is a developing crisis in sports facilities at the school. The children are now being bussed to the Kelvin hall sports arena just down the road, which is not ideal. It would be a disaster if, in the long run, a lack of sports facilities detracted from the school, with parents not wanting to choose it because their children would not get their two hours of physical education a week. Is the minister able to say something about work with Glasgow City Council, which is trying to resolve the matter? Is there any scope for dipping into further capital allocation? She may already be aware of the issue, but I wanted to draw it to her attention.

The development of Gaelic-medium schools is clearly key to the growth of Gaelic in all age groups. Such schools are not just about the children who go to learn Gaelic; they are also a key driver for parents who are learning the language and want to keep up with their children. They bring Gaelic into the family.

I cannot imagine being able to socially engineer any Gaelic choir that I know.

Jamie Stone made the point that we need public engagement with the process, and that will depend on where we are in Scotland. I represent North East Scotland. Doric has had an impact on the area in which I live and work, and we need to be careful that we do not try to impose a language, which I accept Gaelic is, where there is already a dialect, which is what I suggest Doric is.

I am pleased to close the debate for the Scottish Conservatives, as it is of real interest to many of my constituents in the Highlands and Islands. I am proud of the excellent record of previous Conservative Governments in helping to sustain the Gaelic language. The first time that I stood in an election was in the Western Isles. I insisted that part of my electoral address be written in Gaelic, and in it I pointed out that the Conservative party had put £16 million into Gaelic broadcasting. Unfortunately, my translator got one word wrong, which resulted in a daily newspaper saying that the Conservatives were putting £16 billion into Gaelic. That did me no harm, because our votes went up, although I had to admit my mistake.

My colleague Ted Brocklebank said that the Scottish Conservatives broadly welcome Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s action plan for Gaelic. I pay tribute to all those who have worked to produce the action plan. We are clear that the best way in which to maintain and strengthen Gaelic is through broadcasting and education. A good supply of books, such as is available in Ireland, would also be a good idea. I am impressed by the tourist information office in Tyndrum, which has poems by the famous local poet Duncan Ban MacIntyre on the walls. That is a good idea.

Many members have rightly raised the subject of the availability of BBC Alba on Freeview, for which I have argued many times. My constituents in the Highlands and Islands are understandably disappointed that the BBC trust has postponed its decision on the matter. The Parliament should send out a strong and united message that there should be no further delay. My constituent Allan Campbell, who is the chairman of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, has written to the chairman of the BBC trust. As Mr Campbell points out in his letter, the society believes that the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 and the resulting national plan for Gaelic give significant cause for optimism, but a Gaelic digital service is fundamental to that optimism. He also highlights the strong sense of injustice among Gaelic users at being required to pay more to access publicly funded programmes in their language. That issue should be remedied as soon as possible.

A lot of good work takes place in education. The action plan is right to focus on support for parents and adult learning. I commend innovative projects such as the link between pupils of the bun-sgoil on Sleat and Tollcross primary school in Edinburgh, which has resulted in the wonderful Air Iomlaid exhibition of artwork by pupils that is currently on show at the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh. That is on until 9 May, and I suggest that as many members as possible go.

In preparing for today’s debate, I consulted the Gaelic expert in Argyll, Brigadier John MacFarlane, who sings in a Gaelic choir along with my wife Emma. He made several good points. He emphasised the importance of Radio nan Gàidheal as well as the need to develop and support what he called the Gaelic diaspora of potential new learners in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. As I was in the USA last week for Scotland week, I am even more keenly aware of the interest in all things Scottish, including our Gaelic language. We must encourage that important aspect of bringing people to Scotland.

The action plan is right when it talks about

“national pride, a sense of history”

and

“a desire to better understand the place-names of Scotland”.

Those play a part in making the learning of Gaelic accessible. That applies in Scotland and among the Gaelic diaspora. I agree with John MacFarlane’s desire for a better structured approach to adult part-time learning with the development of a modern national curriculum for adult Gaelic learning. He also suggests that we should have a Sabhal Mòr Ostaig for the central belt. I am interested in what the minister might say on that.

I must raise one negative point in connection with Gaelic choirs. I have recently discovered that An Comunn Gàidhealach has raised the required level of passes in Gaelic language speaking among members of choirs. Apparently, if a choir does not have the required number of passes, it cannot compete in certain competitions in the national Mod. That seems to me to be counterproductive in all kinds of ways. We have already said that it is the Gaelic arts and culture that keep Gaelic going, so we want to encourage as many people as possible to sing the songs and read the poetry. However, people have told me that, if their choir is not allowed to take part in the national Mod, they will not bother to take part in the choir. If someone is in full-time employment or looking after children, they might have time to sing in the choir once a week but not have time to study the language. On the other hand, their very proximity to the language while singing it will almost certainly interest them in trying to learn what the words and place names mean.

In that regard, I congratulate An Comunn Gàidhealach on sponsoring Gaelic lessons for members of Gaelic choirs. However, as I said, it is entirely counterproductive to put up barriers to people who are willing to take part in those choirs or to insist on any academic qualifications. After all, one need not learn German, French or Italian to sing an opera in those languages, so why on earth should people need to learn the Gaelic language? If someone has a beautiful voice, that is all that is needed. I do not suppose that the Italian maestro Luciano Pavarotti had to take German lessons to sing “Die Fledermaus” and I doubt that the great Swedish tenor Jussi Björling had to take Italian lessons to sing “Carmen”, so why should people need to have Gaelic lessons to sing in a Gaelic choir?

Gaelic music is free and inspirational. It comes from the sounds of the sea, the sounds of the wind, the sounds of the skylark, the curlew, the oystercatcher. It is about a beautiful sound and freedom of the mind and spirit. It is nothing whatever to do with academic passes and linguistic skills, and I humbly beg An Comunn Gàidhealach to take the requirements away. Surely it is musical merit that defines a good choir rather than a grasp of the grammar of the language.

It is up to us to get down to the brass tacks of delivering the action plan and focus on what we are actually going to do in the next few years. I have enjoyed the debate, as I enjoyed the previous debates in which we examined why we are committed to Gaelic, but it is time for action that makes a difference.

As I said in my opening speech, it would be helpful to have an analysis of where we have come from since we unanimously passed the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill in 2005. I would like to know exactly what progress we have made. I believe that we have made a great deal of progress, but it is always good to get evidence of that.

I whole-heartedly endorse the comments that Jamie McGrigor, Dave Thompson, Jamie Stone and indeed the minister have made. This afternoon, we unite once again to call on the BBC trust not to delay further the decision on transmitting BBC Alba on Freeview. I hope that the message has come across loud and clear, once again, from all parliamentarians who have spoken in the debate. As others have said, BBC Alba makes a critical contribution for families who want to learn and take part in their own language, and there must be no further delay.

Learning and speaking Gaelic is a choice, but it must be a real and practical one. It must be a choice that individuals can make in the knowledge that they can educate their children or take part themselves. Ted Brocklebank was right to point out in the previous debate and today that it should be a choice. I am not a Gael, my family does not speak Gaelic, and we have a distant connection with the culture, but as a Scot I have always felt strongly that Gaelic is part of our Scottish heritage and culture and for that reason I stand up for it.

The Tory amendment refers to the Maori experience, which is worth examining. We should be prepared to consider the experience of any country that has tried to sustain a minority language.

Jamie Stone was right to say that we have missed John Farquhar Munro this afternoon. I think that this is the only Gaelic debate that he has not attended. We send him our best wishes.

I always enjoy listening to the simultaneous interpretation—although I do not speak Gaelic, something about it makes me feel part of the debate. Alasdair Allan talked passionately about how we grow the number of Gaelic speakers and reminded us that only one in four pupils in the Western Isles speak Gaelic, which is always a surprise. That shows us how far we must go.

Peter Peacock mentioned that we have 60 Gaelic-medium units. That is a respectable number, so we should be proud of what we have achieved. He is right to say that the debate about Gaelic has a vibrancy that did not exist before the 2005 act was passed.

As I have said, I agree whole-heartedly with the minister that the key point about Gaelic is bilingualism, but we need to promote that more. If it is true that learning the Gaelic language in addition to English predisposes people to learning other languages, we must get that message out there, because that is an important aspect of the investment.

Dave Thompson talked about how Gaelic has been treated and about a new generation of Gaels. He made the point that speaking Gaelic provides a competitive advantage: we need to make more of that. He also talked about the fragile recovery.

Rob Gibson referred to misconceptions about Gaelic that must always be challenged. He is right to say that we must always be open-minded about the language.

As ever, Jamie McGrigor made an impassioned speech, about Gaelic choirs. I am sure that the £16 billion that he promised would be well used by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

There are many reasons to promote the language. It is part of our heritage and of economic sustainability, and it gives our children a competitive advantage. After all, using the language should be a choice.

I have talked about teacher training numbers. Figures from SPICe show that we trained four secondary teachers in 2008-09, one—a biology teacher—in 2009-10 and that we will train five secondary teachers in 2010-11 in Gaelic-medium teaching. Those low numbers are poor and we must do better. We might not be able to have Gaelic-medium teachers in every subject—people from Glasgow Gaelic school tell me that chemistry is quite difficult to teach in Gaelic, at which I hear laughter—but it is important to recognise that the teacher can speak in Gaelic around the main subject and address the main teaching in English.

I, too, think that Gaelic is an important part of our culture. When I attended the traditional music awards, I saw the influence of Gaelic on traditional music. It is important that that is seen as part of the mix of the wider brilliance of traditional Scottish music.

I genuinely took time out to read the action plan in detail. I have read just about every one of the recommendations, all of which are good. However, I stand by what I said: I would like a more focused and shortened document that sets out what the Scottish Government thinks it can achieve in the shorter term, because we cannot do all that is in the plan, even in the next 10 years. For delivery, it is important to work out for the shorter term and in a more focused way where our best chances are of achieving the growth in speaker numbers. The plan must be achievable and practical—it is too important to get wrong.

16:19

It is certainly true that we cannot force Gaelic down people’s throats, and given the resources that we have to apply to Gaelic, it would be a waste of money to do so. We have to encourage those who want to learn to be part of the new generation of Gaelic speakers. Television and the new media have a role to play in that, and I hope that they will be part of the activity under the action plan.

I will focus on concluding, Presiding Officer, because I know that you want the debate to be finished by half past 4. I will address three points quickly.

Dave Thompson made a point about road signs. Transport Scotland is researching the current signage on the roads and ferries in the west, and further progress needs to be made with that. I am pleased that some trains are now branded with Gaelic; that is very positive.

Peter Peacock raised the issue of specific grants. We aim to use those strategically for new developments, such as the opening of new Gaelic-medium classes, but the Government is not the only agency that funds Gaelic; there is a wider responsibility.

We want to send many signals from this debate today, the strongest of which is that Gaelic will live if we work hard to ensure that the plan is implemented. It is therefore heartening to see unanimity in the Parliament. I know that those in Bòrd na Gàidhlig and other agencies who have responsibility for implementing the plan will take heart from that, but they will also need to see continued political backing at every level if they are to make it happen. They will also need to see the willing buy-in of other agencies.

Finally, I echo what everyone has said about the BBC. It is a great disappointment that, despite constant lobbying, there is still delay. It is vital that Gaelic television is seen on Freeview; there should be no further delay, and there should be no diminution of service for other users. The minister for Gaelic will write to the BBC shortly to tell it about the unanimity in this chamber once again.

The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-6143, in the name of Fiona Hyslop, on an action plan for Gaelic.

14:56

Mòran taing, Presiding Officer, agus feasgar math, a chàirdean.

Following is the simultaneous interpretation:

Thank you, Presiding Officer, and good afternoon, colleagues.

The member continued in English.

The publication of the action plan that has been prepared by Bòrd na Gàidhlig could represent a pivotal moment in the fortunes of Scotland’s original language and one of the oldest tongues in Europe. The wording of the motion is important. We agree that Gaelic is much more than a language. Indigenous languages and cultures can also be powerful economic drivers. That has happened in Iceland and the Faroes, and it is happening with the Maori language in New Zealand, as we recognise in our amendment. There are examples from around the world in which economic success follows when indigenous languages and cultures are allowed to flourish again. In saying that, Scotland is a richly diverse country, and just as no one should be denied the opportunity to learn Gaelic, neither should the language be forced on pupils in parts of Scotland where no interest is apparent.

The new plan rightly seeks to make Gaelic widely available at pre-school, primary, secondary and adult levels, with particular emphasis on the early years, as we heard. However, nobody who has the future of Gaelic at heart would want to see it foisted on unwilling recipients. Gaels of an older generation are all too familiar with the enforced learning of a foreign language—English—to wish similar coercion on future generations. Equally, few believe that we should reduce financial support for our threatened first language, but the Government and the various Gaelic bodies must be particularly careful, especially in the current economic climate, to avoid profligacy and provide ammunition to those who do not have Gaelic’s best interests at heart.

As I have argued previously, television is one of the principal weapons in the fight to develop the language and culture, and MG Alba continues its excellent work in that respect. As the minister said, it is a great pity that the BBC trust has postponed its decision on transmitting the channel on Freeview, but given the cross-party support for that, we remain optimistic that it will be achieved, hopefully before the end of the year.

The channel continues to deliver on quality and diversity. An example of that is the current series on the Gaelic diaspora, which reworks familiar ground by providing fresh insights into and expert commentary on the importance of the Gaels worldwide, particularly in the building of Canada. All the principal figures in the Canadian fur and pemmican wars were Gaelic speaking, as were Canada’s founding premiers. They were people of character, fortitude and intelligence, as the Earl of Selkirk—who was a self-taught Gaelic speaker—recognised when he placed Gaels from Lewis and Kildonan at the heart of his Red River settlement. This was to be the new Scotland, and Gaelic and Gaels were to be the drivers.

The descendants of the original settlers are now prominent all over the prairie province of Manitoba and largely run its great commercial capital, Winnipeg. Perhaps that is why the empty glens of the Highlands seem so tragically wasteful to visiting Gaels from the new world. If their people were able to achieve so much on distant continents, why do they seem to have been unable to do the same in the Gaidhealtachd?

I remember discussing those matters more than 30 years ago with a young Edinburgh merchant banker, who had just bought himself 20,000 acres of bog and moorland on the southernmost tip of Skye. His name was Iain Noble. Sir Iain is not in the most robust health at the moment, and I pay tribute to the contribution that he has made to Gaeldom over the years.

Sir Iain had worked for the Scottish Council for Development and Industry and had seen at first hand in Iceland and the Faroes what a powerful role linguistic and cultural regeneration could play in economic and social regeneration. He taught himself Gaelic and, with huge drive and imagination, began the remarkable task of revitalising his part of Skye, using as his principal driver cànan nan Gàidheal—the tongue of the Gael. He founded the Gaelic college of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, which now plays a key role in the UHI Millennium Institute—the university of the Highlands and Islands—in an old barn on his land.

History shows that Sir Iain’s initiative has now transformed Skye’s Sleat peninsula culturally, socially and economically. In fairness, it should be recorded that Brian Wilson’s West Highland Free Press, which was founded on Skye at around the same time, also played a key role in promoting Gaelic and contributed hugely to the task of restoring the self-confidence of the wider Gaidhealtachd. It was no coincidence that top Gaelic bands such as Runrig and Capercaillie rose to national prominence at around the same time and proved that cànan nan Gàidheal could not only bring economic success, but could be cool.

It seems to me that the Bòrd na Gàidhlig action plan is in that tradition and should be commended, along with the previous Government’s groundbreaking Gaelic legislation of 2005. I also commend the current Government’s language plan. Within existing budgeted costs, the ambition should be to restore Gaelic to a position of similar strength to the one that is enjoyed by the Welsh language in Wales and Irish Gaelic in the Republic of Ireland.

In that connection, I commend to the Parliament the excellent work that is being done in New Zealand to advance the Maori language. As I discovered on my recent visit to Australia and New Zealand with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Maori tongue is going from strength to strength. From a low point of some 30,000 speakers in 1987, when the Maori Language Commission was set up, most of the 650,000-strong Maori community now have a working knowledge of their own language, and an estimated 136,000 people are fluent in it. Gaelic’s progress has been disappointing by comparison—according to the most recent census, there are fewer than 60,000 fluent speakers in Scotland.

It is no coincidence that the growth of the Maori language and culture has been accompanied by a similar increase in the social, economic and political status of the Maori people, which Gaels in Scotland might envy. I believe that we should study the Maori experience closely. Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s action plan is an important staging post, but I am sure that, as the minister and Pauline McNeill have indicated, the journey back for Gaelic still has a long way to go. Mòran taing.

I move amendment S3M-6143.1, to insert at end:

“and recommends that the Parliament and Bòrd na Gàidhlig pay close attention to the New Zealand Government’s successful initiatives to increase the numbers of Maori language speakers.”





15:24

The forthcoming Royal National Mod in Thurso will be a great achievement, and it is a tribute to the organisers who are bringing the event to the county of Caithness. It will instil an awareness of Gaelic and of the culture and music of that language. It will also do a great deal for tourism in that far-flung part of Scotland.

I am keenly aware of the poignancy of the fact that, in my constituency, Gaelic only just hangs on. It never ceases to amaze me that there is still a handful of native Gaelic speakers who come from the east coast of Sutherland. I find that astonishing in this day and age, but the language only just hangs on there—it is almost gone. Today’s debate is about many things, and one of them is protecting that inheritance—it is hanging there by its fingertips.

This has been a good, interesting and important debate, and I thank all colleagues, including the Minister for Culture and External Affairs, for their contributions. I am sure that we shall move forward consensually on the action plan. In my opening speech, I made it clear that I support the aims of the plan and the priority areas that it outlines. I am particularly pleased to note the emphasis on supporting parents and on education. Gaelic is very much a language of the community, and it starts in our homes and schools, with the dedication of families and teachers.

The Scottish Government has chosen education as the main area that it would like to progress in its response to the action plan, and I hope that it does not end there. I hope that the contents of the plan are not just words but are translated into visible, measurable actions. I do not say that because I doubt the Scottish Government’s dedication to the Gaelic cause. The legislation that was passed under the previous Government has continued to be built upon under the present Government. I say it because it is common knowledge that the Government faces difficulties on the education front, which I have alluded to already.

There are ambitions in the action plan that will require a concerted effort on the part of local and national Government to ensure their success. The action plan recommends continuing support for local authorities in providing Gaelic education, and I hope that the Scottish Government will take the necessary steps to ensure that that support is forthcoming. Everyone knows that local authorities face some of the tightest financial times over the next few years, as Peter Peacock has said.

In my opening speech, I touched on the important role that the media play in Gaelic language promotion and on how the Scottish Government should do all that it can to encourage the United Kingdom Government to ensure wider, more accessible broadcasting of Gaelic television. That is an easy step, which can be incorporated into and can complement Gaelic education. Television is an instant, accessible medium, and it places the language in a practical and useable form. One need only consider the success of the Welsh-language channel S4C, for example.

I echo an important point that Ted Brocklebank made. I emphasise the importance of the promoters of Gaelic taking Scotland’s people and communities with them as they go about their business. That point has been alluded to in other speeches. That is particularly true in parts of Scotland that do not have a tradition—or a particularly strong tradition—of Gaelic being spoken.

Alas, the apparent imposition of decisions from very far away—as it is often felt—regarding Gaelic signage and so on can be viewed as clumsy and insensitive by communities. As colleagues have suggested, that has caused controversy in the Caithness part of my constituency, controversy that surely does not serve the best interests of preserving and promoting the language, particularly when public finances are severely stretched and when the Royal National Mod is about to come to Caithness.

Wherever humanly possible, it is far better to seek the community’s approval before spending scant resources on such projects. We should not be afraid of asking local communities what they think when it comes to sensitive issues. Indeed, a refusal to ask communities what they think can unfortunately be interpreted as arrogance, something that should have no place in the protection and promotion of Gaelic, which is part of our national heritage. Gaelic is a mother tongue that, for centuries, has all too often retreated in the face of the arrogant imposition of English. Sensitivity is required, and we should take people with us. That way, the language will flourish.

I have one Gaelic saying to quote, which I use quite often. Togar càrn mòr de chlachan beaga—the great cairn is built of wee stones. It is an important thought that small steps, all in the right direction, can achieve a great result.

16:04

It is difficult to be certain. The next census may show a continued decline, but at a slower rate, or we may have halted the decline. The way in which we collect statistics on Gaelic speaking is not precise or accurate. We need to get a better hold on what we are doing and to drive that forward. That is not a criticism of our predecessors or ourselves. It is clear that we need to create a new generation of Gaelic speakers. If we do not do that, there will not be Gaelic speakers in Scotland in a generation or, I suspect, two generations. That is the challenge that the plan addresses.

Some of the answers lie elsewhere. I am more than happy to rub noses with Mr Brocklebank, because the Maori nation and others, such as the Hawaiian nation, have addressed the question and looked into the abyss. Languages die every day, week or month in this world. There is no reason why Gaelic should not be one of those dying or dead languages. We as a nation need to take action to drive forward the language and to make it survive.

Today, we are addressing the future of the language, which is an urgent matter. We have a plan that says that we can do something. It is focused on education at every level: at pre-school level—involving generational transmission, which is extremely important—at school level and at adult level. At each of those levels, if we take action, if the plan is observed and if Bòrd na Gàidhlig has the resources, we can make the language survive, so I share Mr Peacock’s optimism. It can be done, but none of us should be in any doubt that it is a challenge.

With the greatest respect to my good friend Jamie McGrigor, it is not a question of whether people can sing in Gaelic choirs. That is wonderful, and there is nothing wrong with it, but the language is at a point at which we have to be honest and straightforward and say that, unless we take certain actions, it might not outlive some of us who are in the chamber today. It is important to be blunt about that. I know that the minister for Gaelic has been very active on this point. When we are blunt about it and place the survival of the language as an issue before the people of Scotland, they respond.

I was interested in Mr Stone’s point about Caithness and the Mod. We could wax eloquent about the economic benefit of about £2.5 million that the Mod will bring to Caithness, and about the fact that almost every hotel is already booked. We could wax eloquent about the Caithness dialect and Gaelic, which enrich the three-voiced county, just as Scotland is a three-voiced nation. However, the most important thing that people who go to the Mod in Caithness will have to confront is the issue that we are confronting today, which is the point that the Mod might simply be a series of concerts for a dead language, unless we take action to make the language applicable and living in every single set of circumstances.

My point about the choirs is that they are still popular, but they should in no way be used as a social engineering tool to meet targets for Gaelic speakers.

Faodaidh mi tòiseachadh le ràdh gu bheil e na nàire mhòr nach eil Gàidhlig aig ach aon Albannach a-mach à 50. Gun teagamh, is ann mar sin a tha cùisean anns a’ Phàrlamaid seo cuideachd, le dithis bhall Pàrlamaid gu leth anns an t-suidheachadh sin. Is iad Alasdair Ailean agus Iain Fearchar Rothach a tha a’ cunntadh mar an dithis agus mi-fhìn a tha a’ dèanamh suas an leth eile, a chionn ’s gu bheil mi fhathast beagan air falbh bho fhileantas. Tha e sònraichte, co-dhiù, gu bheil dithis gu leth againn ann idir nuair a bheachdaicheas duine air an dòigh-làimhseachaidh a tha Gàidhlig air fhaighinn anns na bliadhnaichean a chaidh seachad, ach tha seo a-nis ag atharrachadh.

Tha am foillseachadh “Ginealach Ùr na Gàidhlig: Plana Gnìomha gus àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig a mheudachadh” bho Bhòrd na Gàidhlig an t-seachdain seo na cheum mòr eile air an t-slighe air adhart ann am planaichean gus ginealaichean ùra Gàidhlig a chruthachadh, agus bu chòir dhuinn fàilte mhòr a chur air.

Co-dhiù, ma tha sinn ag iarraidh gum bi a’ mhòr-chuid fhathast còmhla rinn, feumaidh sinn coimhead air factaran eile cuideachd, mar na buannachdan eaconamach a gheibh sinn bho chumail na Gàidhlig beò agus an cultar agus dualchas beartach a tha a’ dol còmhla rithe. Is e turasachd tè de na gnìomhachasan as cudromaiche ann an Alba. Ged a tha mòran dhaoine a’ tighinn don Ghàidhealtachd gus ar seallaidhean àlainn agus ar n-iomadach bheathaichean fhaicinn, is e briseadh-dùil dhaibh a bhith a’ faicinn nan aon soidhnichean-rathaid a chitheadh iad aig baile ann an Leamington Spa, Doncaster no Basingstoke. An aghaidh na chanas an fheadhainn a tha neo-chàirdeil ris a’ Ghàidhlig agus a tha a’ feuchainn ri ràdh gu bheil soidhnichean-rathaid dà-chànanach cunnartach airson dràibhearan, airson mòran dhaoine tha iad a’ cur ri cultar agus cruth nan àiteachan far a bheil iad air an taisbeanadh.

A bharrachd air an tlachd a bhios muinntir an àite a’ gabhail bho na h-ealain Ghàidhlig agus ceòl Gàidhlig, tha an cultar beò sònraichte a tha sna h-eileanan seo na adhbhar cudromach eile a bhios a’ Ghàidhealtachd is na h-Eileanan cho tarraingeach do luchd-tadhail à pàirtean eile den Rìoghachd Aonaichte. Ged a bhios mòran dhaoine toilichte a bhith a’ dol air an saor-laithean agus a’ fuireach taobh a-staigh campa saor-làithean fad na tìde, is fheàrr leis a’ mhòr-chuid a bhith a’ fuireach am measg muinntir an àite agus a bhith a’ faighinn blas de na beathannan aca.

O chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean, agus air sgàth taic luchd-poilitigs agus luchd-taic bho gach pàrtaidh le sùil air an àm ri teachd, tha Gàidhlig air a bhith a’ dol tro bheagan de dhùsgadh agus sinn a-nis ag aithneachadh nam buannachdan foghlaim a tha aice cuideachd. Tha barrachd pàrantan a-nis a’ cur luach air na buannachdan foghlaim a tha rim faotainn tro fhoghlam dà-chànanach airson na cloinne aca. Tha fèill mhòr air a bhith air foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, le barrachd teaghlaichean a’ mothachadh gu bheil làmh an uachdair aig clann a tha air foghlam dà-chànanach fhaighinn an coimeas ri clann eile aig a bheil dìreach aon chànan.

Anns an rannsachadh a rinn an t-Ollamh Richard Johnstone bho Oilthigh Shruighlea air sgoilearan dà-chànanach, thug e fa-near gu bheil clann ann an sgoiltean le foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig buailteach a bhith a’ dèanamh nas fheàrr na clann ann an sgoiltean le foghlam tro mheadhan na Beurla. Tha luchd-foghlam cuideachd ag aithneacheach gu bheil comas a bu mhotha aig clann a tha fileanta ann an dà chànan a bhith a’ dèiligeadh le raon nas fharsainge de phròiseasan smaoineachaidh agus, a bharrachd air seo, dh’fhaodadh dà-chànanachas a bhith a’ cur ri comas neach-cloinne a bhith ag ionnsachadh cànanan eile.

Is i tè de na buannachdan as cudromaiche a thàinig a-mach à stèidheachadh na Phàrlamaid gu bheil sinn air tòiseachadh cur às don bheus sin air a bheil an “Scottish cringe”—a bhith a’ coimhead air ar duthaich mar àite nach eil cho math ri dùthchannan eile air feadh an t-saoghail. Is i an fhìrinn, gu mì-fhortanach, gu bheil feadhainn a’ coimhead air cànan ar sinnsirean mar rudeigin nas lugha na Fraingis, Danish, Finnish no Korean. Feumaidh gu bheil seo a’ toirt buaidh air a’ bheus sin, agus feumaidh gun cuir toirt air ais na Gàidhlig gu ìre far a bheil i a’ faighinn meas agus aithneachadh ri toirt air ais misneachd chaillte na h-Alba.

Gun teagamh, chan ann dìreach ar clann a dh’fhaodadh a bhith a’ faighinn buannachdan bho ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig. Air an adhbhar sin, tha an cùrsa sònraichte Gàidhlig ulpan, airson luchd-tòiseachaidh aig gach aois, ag èirigh ann am meas an t-sluaigh. Bidh na cùrsaichean sin gan leasachadh agus gan cur air adhart a bharrachd.

Taobh cudromach eile den dùsgadh Ghàidhlig, chì sinn ann an cruthachadh MG Alba. Tha an craoladair spaideil ùr Gàidhlig sin a’ dearbhadh inbhe na Gàidhlig mar chànan a tha dìreach cho cudromach ri cànan sam bith eile. Tha soirbheachas an adhartais seo, a tha math dha-rìribh, air a bhith air a chur sìos beagan, ge-tà, a chionn ’s nach eil cothrom aig BBC Alba a’ faighinn do luchd-seallaidh tron t-seirbheis Freeview, a tha aig a’ BhBC. Tha an argamaid aig Urras a’ BhBC gum feumadh e a bhith ag obair a-mach dè a’ chiall a tha aig “universality” airson a’ BhBC mar bhuidhinn mus dèan e co-dhùnadh air BBC Alba. Chan eil sin a’ dèanamh ciall. Feumaidh Urras a’ BhBC beachdachadh a-rithist. Tha seo cudromach a chionn ’s nach eil cothrom aig tòrr daoine a tha ga iarraidh a bhith a’ coimhead air an t-sianail. Tha cron ga dhèanamh air leasachadh na Gàidhlig anns an roinn chraolaidh air sgàth sin.

Tha cor na Gàidhlig ag atharrachadh airson a’ chiad uair ann an linntean agus tha e cudthromach gu bheil Alba anns an 21mh linn ag aithneachadh dìreach dè cho lag ’s a tha an t-ath-bheòthachadh agus gu bheil sinn a dèanamh a h-uile rud a b’ urrainn dhuinn a bhith a’ cumail Gàidhlig suas agus beò.

Following is the simultaneous interpretation:

It is a shame that only one in 50 Scots has a decent knowledge of Gaelic. That is reflected in the Parliament, of course: only 2.5 MSPs are in that position. Alasdair Allan and John Farquhar Munro count as two and I count as a half, as I am still some way from fluency. It is remarkable that there are even 2.5 of us, considering how Gaelic has been treated in the past. However, that is now changing.

The publication of “Ginealach Ùr na Gàidhlig: Plana Gnìomha gus àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig a mheudachadh” by Bòrd na Gàidhlig this week is a further major step forward in plans to create a new generation of Gaelic speakers, and it is to be warmly welcomed. However, if we are to continue to take the majority with us, we must consider other factors, such as the economic benefits to be gained from the continued survival of Gaelic and the rich culture and heritage that accompany it.

Tourism is one of Scotland’s most important industries. People flock to the Highlands to marvel at our spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife, but many are disappointed to be brought back to earth on their holidays by seeing exactly the same traffic signs and street names that they can see at home in Leamington Spa, Doncaster or Basingstoke. Contrary to the constant refrain of those who are hostile to Gaelic that bilingual signs are a confusing driving hazard, for many people they add to the texture and culture of the areas in which they are displayed.

In addition to the local population’s enjoyment of Gaelic music and arts, the existence of a thriving and distinct culture in these isles is an important reason why the Highlands and Islands are such a draw for visitors from other parts of the United Kingdom. Many people who are on holiday may be content to stay within the confines of a holiday camp, but most prefer to live among the local population and sample something of the lives of the people in that population.

In recent years, thanks to the support of forward-thinking politicians and supporters from all parties, Gaelic has seen something of a revival, and its educational benefits are now being recognised. More and more parents have come to appreciate the educational benefits that are available to their children through bilingualism. The popularity of Gaelic-medium education has soared as more and more families have come to appreciate that children who are brought up to be bilingual have a competitive advantage over their peers who go through life with just one language.

In his study of bilingual pupils, Professor Richard Johnstone of the University of Stirling noted a tendency for children who are educated in Gaelic-medium schools to outperform their contemporaries in English-medium education. Educationists must recognise that children who benefit from fluency in and understanding of two languages have a greater ability to handle a wide range of thought processes. On top of that, bilingualism can enhance a child’s ability to learn other languages.

One of the key benefits of the establishment of the Scottish Parliament has been to minimise the characteristic of the national psyche known as the Scottish cringe—the tendency to regard our country as less good than others around the world. The fact that some even regard the language of our forebears as inferior to French, Danish, Finnish or Korean must have a bearing on that. Gaelic’s restoration to a position of respect and acceptance must surely play a part in giving Scotland back its lost self-confidence.



Of course it is not only our children who can benefit from learning Gaelic. That is why the acclaimed ulpan Gaelic courses for beginners of all ages have been increasing in popularity and are to be further promoted and improved.

Another key aspect of the encouragement of Gaelic’s revival has been the formation of BBC Alba, a high-quality Gaelic-medium broadcaster, which confirms Gaelic’s status as a language that is as important as any other. However, the success of that extremely positive development has been hampered by the fact that BBC Alba is not provided to viewers through the BBC’s Freeview service. The BBC trust’s argument that it must sort out what universality should mean for the BBC as a whole before it makes a decision on BBC Alba just does not add up. It should go away and think again. That is important, because many of those who wish to use the channel cannot access it and the progress of Gaelic is being unfairly hampered because of that.

The fortunes of Gaelic are changing for the first time in centuries. It is important that modern Scotland recognises just how fragile its recovery is and that we continue to do all we can to maintain it.

15:52

Tha mi a’ cur fàilte air “Ginealach Ùr na Gàidhlig”. Welcome to the action plan to increase the numbers of Gaelic speakers. We have a very practical set of plans here at a time when we have recognised that the thrust of developing the number of Gaelic speakers will of course come from education and from the home and community from early years right through to adult learning. That focus is excellent. I am delighted that in leading Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Arthur Cormack has homed in on those central parts of the action that must be taken to try to increase the number of speakers.

We must welcome the fact that the issue is being considered at a time when the financial circumstances of belt tightening are being used as an obstacle to doing anything. In arguing against that, we have the opportunity to say that we must think about individuals’, communities’ and the country’s self-esteem and identity. If we cut away the basis of what it is to be the people who live in Gaelic’s heartlands and the new learning communities, we will make it more difficult in future for them to have that distinctiveness, which makes Scotland what it is. Scotland is a changing place but, nevertheless, it has those kinds of roots, which Gaelic allows us to share with the rest of the world. Gaelic is recognised more widely as a language, such as in the European charter for regional or minority languages.

I could not believe it when I heard a presenter on BBC Scotland this morning say that Gaelic is not really a language. One of the board’s development officers said, “Of course it is.” The problem that we have is that out there, appreciation of the language has to develop along with the effort to teach more people to become Gaelic speakers. Out there in the community, there are a lot of misconceptions about what is going on.

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure—and, at times, the pain—of taking part in a debate in Caithness on the place of Gaelic in that county. It was a civilised affair that had been billed as if it was going to be a shooting gallery with those of us on the panel as the targets.

Although, fortunately, the non-Gaels were polite, they sent some barbs in the direction of Gaelic. One panellist said:

“It’s a minority movement, with the backing of the Gaelic Act—they are ramming it down our throats.”

I do not think that that is the case. The trouble is that people do not even have the self-esteem to understand that their own Caithness dialect is a dialect of Scots, and that it will benefit from debate about the other language: Gaelic. We must encourage people to recognise who they are and to understand that the diversity of languages in this country is something to celebrate and which gives people a good feeling.

The Royal National Mod in Caithness later this year will not only encompass Gaelic but recognise the Norse heritage in the Caithness dialect of Scots. As members have mentioned, the census is coming next year; we have been dealing with it in the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, and the language questions are in there once again.

The language question on Gaelic has been in the census for 100 years. I am delighted that it has been included again, and we hope that this time round, we will get a realistic picture of the number of Gaelic speakers, in the hope that it is going up. For the first time, in an attempt to bolster that information, the census will include a question on the number of people who speak Scots. As the convener of the cross-party group on Scots, I view the two languages together, supporting the recognition that Scotland is a diverse place and that Gaelic and Scots have big parts to play in the self-esteem of our country as we move forward.

I hope that if today’s debate does nothing else, it will send a message to people who, in a very curmudgeonly way, say, “Why are we going to waste money on these past languages?” Some do say such things; I will not go into detail, but such reactionary attitudes against Gaelic and Scots can fill newspaper pages. We must have a good argument that explains why it is far better for people to be open-minded and welcoming.

It was interesting to hear the arguments that were made at the Sutherland summit for why Sutherland is an attractive place for people to visit. Dave Thompson mentioned the scenery and the wildlife, and other people recognise that. German visitors had the opportunity to see the Gaelic language on road and street signs, and to hear it spoken, and that was one of the attractions for them. That diversity, and the ability of people to recognise it—as those from Germany did—could be much more widespread.

The Gaelic plan allows for the possibility that a lot more people will come to the country because they choose to see a living culture, not just the remnants of a dead one that one can find in the piles of fuar làraichean: the piles of stones that used to be houses in the villages that were cleared so long ago.

I am delighted to support the action plan, but I am concerned that we make the argument for the money that is required to extend the schools. I am keen that the councils in areas in which Gaelic is widely spoken do not in any way stop recruiting Gaelic teachers at present or water down the conditions under which they are recruited. I am concerned that those things might happen because of the cuts, and I make a plea to council leaders to ensure that in these straitened times, Gaelic is not unnecessarily a victim of cuts.

The Gaelic plan has a lot to do. This is a time of financial belt tightening, but also a time of hope for this country. I believe that that hope is encapsulated in plans such as the one that we are discussing today and in the belief that our variety of languages gives many of our citizens a life with a good deal more depth and enjoyment. We are arguing about Gaelic as one of the family of languages in Scotland. A language is a means to say so much more, and that is what we are here to underpin today.

15:59

As the member says, choirs have to have a certain number of passes in order to take part in certain competitions in the Mod. I am saying that that is not necessary and that the requirement should be done away with.

We recognise the investment that has gone into Gaelic but we share the concern that, although much good work is going on, it has not yet been matched by a corresponding increase in the number of Gaelic speakers. The action plan plots a way forward to address that, so I support the Government’s motion. We Conservatives will support it along with the amendment in the name of my friend Ted Brocklebank, obviously, and the amendment by Pauline McNeill.

16:12

Tha mi air leth toilichte a bhith a’ bruidhinn mu Ghàidhlig a-rithist. Seo cuspair cudromach, agus iomairt cudromach. Tha mi gu pearsanta air a bhith taiceil dhan Ghàidhlig airson ùine mhòr agus ann an iomadh dòigh, ann am foghlam, craoladh agus tron lagh fhèin. Cuideachd, tha mi air a bhith a’ sgrìobhadh ann an Gàidhlig, ag obair ann agus ag iomairt às leth a’ chànain. Tha mi air leth toilichte a bhith a’ bruidhinn mun adhartas a nì sinn dhan Ghàidhlig. Tha e an-còmhnaidh a’ toirt toileachas mòr dhomh a bhith ag obair agus a’ cuideachadh na Gàidhlig. Tha teachdaireachd shìmplidh againn an-diugh: feumaidh sinn àireamhan luchd-bruidhinn na Gàidhlig fhàs. Tha mi den bheachd gu bheil dùbhlan mòr romhainn, ach bu chòir dhuinn uile a bhith air an aon ràmh. Sin an obair a tha romhainn.

Following is the simultaneous interpretation:

I am happy to speak Gaelic again. The subject is important, as is the initiative. I have supported Gaelic for a long time and in different ways—in education, broadcasting and legislation. I have written and worked in Gaelic and campaigned on behalf of the language. I am again happy to speak about the progress that we should make on Gaelic. It always gives me great enjoyment to work for and to help Gaelic. Today we have a simple message: we must increase the number of Gaelic speakers. In my view, there is a great challenge ahead of us. The task before us is to be together on that.

The member continued in English.

Today’s debate and the motion that is before us are uniquely important. The motion is of paramount importance to four people, none of whom have taken part in the debate. I refer to Arthur Cormack, the convener of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and the triumvirate that is presently running the bòrd, two members of which—Hugh Dan MacLennan and Jo MacDonald—are here today. They are the people on whom the burden of turning this focused plan into reality will rest.

I do not want to put too great a burden on their shoulders, but the challenge that they face is nothing less than to ensure the survival of the Gaelic language. The entire chamber and the Government also face that challenge. There must be a sense of urgency about the task that lies in front of us. Peter Peacock addressed the issue well when he pointed to the progress that has been made. If we were to write that story, we would go through all of the things that the member mentioned in his speech. I am grateful for receiving a small mention, even in a slimmer incarnation. However, now the questions that require the most urgent answers are those that Pauline McNeill asked: how well have we done, and how well do we need to do to make the language survive?

There is an urgency to the issue, because the answers to Pauline McNeill’s questions are, at best, mixed. We know how many Gaelic-medium education units there are in schools and how many pupils are in those units. We know how many children are at Gaelic-medium pre-school and how many Gaelic speakers there are, although the figure is difficult to assess because we run from census to census. We know how many ulpan students there are. Rightly, much reference has been made to ulpan, as it is a major initiative. However, we know that there are not enough Gaelic speakers and that we are not bringing forward enough people to speak it. We also know that those who speak Gaelic cannot speak it in all circumstances. Alasdair Allan gave great testimony to the fact that, at present, Gaelic does not have the normal reach of a language that allows it to be spoken, to live and to develop in all circumstances.

We face a challenge to which we need to respond. The action plan is the answer to that challenge and requires urgent implementation, which must be based on present resources.

I am sure that the minister is too young to remember a successful Gaelic teaching programme on television called “Can Seo”, but will she agree to consider that approach? The programme disseminated Gaelic in a popular and interesting way.

Yes, I acknowledge fully that the action plan discusses early years and adult learners, but it strikes me that school is also a focus for adult learners. Developing Gaelic-medium schools is just one of the ways in which we can encourage, and are encouraging, adults to learn Gaelic.

We have a crisis in the number of teachers who are coming through the system, which concerns us all greatly. According to the statistics that the Scottish Parliament information service gave me, from 2007 onwards the numbers of teachers who choose to teach in Gaelic have been in single figures. We need to make more progress in that regard.

We must also ensure that we give teachers opportunities to move around the country. That is why new Gaelic schools throughout Scotland are vital not only for the children who can attend them but to create the opportunities for teachers to teach.

We have two schools at the moment, but there are plans for a new school in the Highlands, which must be a central focus of the development of Gaelic schools. Work has started, but it seems to me that we need to make more progress in that area, so I would like to hear more about the Government’s plans in that regard.

As it states, the action plan is intended urgently to address how we can meet the targets, but I would like to see a more focused programme of what the Government believes will be achievable within the many laudable but ambitious aims in the plan, such as the aim to convert six non-Gaelic-speaking teachers per year. It is not clear to me how we can bring that about. There was an announcement today on encouraging Irish speakers to convert to Gaelic. I am not convinced about the viability of that, but I stand to be persuaded. I am also not clear about the incentives for teachers to enter Gaelic-medium education. What kind of incentives are they? Are they salary incentives? We need to hear more detail about how the plan will be delivered on the ground.

Glasgow has been a good model of a local authority that is committed to Gaelic education, but I would say that. We are well on the way to reaching the target of a 50 per cent increase in the number of pupils who continue with Gaelic rather than another modern language and the target of having 10,000 pupils leaving elementary level with Gaelic as a second or third language. I accept that there is a sense of urgency about making more progress and ensuring that we have more growth in the number of Gaelic speakers. The key to that is schools. I would like to hear more detail on how ministers intend to bring that about.

As the minister said, Gaelic is not just a language. It is part of our culture and it is of key economic value. If the Parliament works with the Government on the action plan, we can show that the act that we passed in 2005 has delivered something for Scotland.

I move amendment S3M-6143.2, to insert at end:

“and calls on the Scottish Government to keep the funding for Bòrd na Gàidhlig under review in light of the Gaelic language targets.”



15:17

I wish everyone a good afternoon.

I am pleased that we are taking the time this afternoon to debate Gaelic and how we can continue to preserve and cultivate the language. As an advocate for the Gaelic language, I am encouraged by the fact that the Scottish Government sees the need for what it calls “urgent action” to halt the decline in the number of Gaelic speakers.

The priority action areas outlined in the action plan are praiseworthy ambitions. They cover the areas that are essential to the positive encouragement of Gaelic as an integrated part of a modern Scotland. I am pleased that the plan outlines the importance of supporting parents in giving their children the opportunity to involve Gaelic as part of their education and lifestyle. We all know that modern families are busy and face a whole host of pressures, and it would be easy for Gaelic to take a back seat in families as they juggle the practical demands of the day. Therefore, any measure to make it easier for parents to encourage and support their children in Gaelic learning must be acknowledged and welcomed.

Many have attributed the decline of Gaelic to a lack of awareness, which in turn breeds indifference. It is for that reason that I am happy that the action plan has ambitions to promote Gaelic both locally and nationally. It is important to invigorate Gaelic in the areas in which the language has a history and tradition. However, it is also important to promote Gaelic outside those areas to create a national appreciation of this rich part of our culture.

My party has always been about education, and therefore I am sure that it will come as no surprise that I am pleased that the action plan places renewed emphasis on Gaelic education. I am sure that we all see that as one of the most effective ways to protect and promote the language, and that is especially true during the early years of a child’s educational development. As the saying goes, ionnsachadh òg ionnsachadh bòidheach—learn young and learn well. With the imminent introduction of the curriculum for excellence, we have an opportunity to advance Gaelic learning.

As Pauline McNeill hinted, it will be interesting to see how the Government interprets the action plan’s aspiration for a 100 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of teachers being trained to provide Gaelic-medium education. The number of Gaelic teachers has remained pretty much static since devolution, and we are all more than familiar with the recent overall decline in teacher numbers, so that will be a real challenge.

I am supportive of the aims and objectives of the action plan, and I am pleased to see that the Government has responded positively to it, particularly with regard to the importance of an educational focus. Aims are aims and targets are targets, but what is important is that the Government and all of us take the action plan extremely seriously.

In concluding, I want to say two things. First, I want to emphasise how important broadcasting is in the context of the aims of the Gaelic action plan, as the minister acknowledged. The plan calls for “practical and urgent steps” to make Gaelic “attractive and accessible”, as well as rightly hailing Gaelic as a language of the “home and community”. Good media play a key part in that, presenting the language in relatable contexts and to a variety of different audiences by entering home, school and family life.

There is no question but that BBC Alba has exceeded all expectations since it was launched in September 2008. Its Gaelic programmes—not least its news, current affairs and community information programmes—have a weekly audience of more than 70 per cent of the Gaelic speakers and learners who are able to receive the channel.

The debate is about who is able to receive the channel. There is, and always has been, cross-party support in the Parliament for BBC Alba being available on digital terrestrial television, or Freeview, at the earliest opportunity. It is simply not acceptable that the channel is available only to those who have access to satellite-based platforms. That is not the case for S4C in Wales, and it will not be the case for the Irish language channel TG4, which will be available on Freeview in Northern Ireland following the digital switchover. Scots Gaelic should surely be on an equal footing with Irish Gaelic and Welsh, and BBC Alba as the primary Gaelic language channel should be available as a main channel on Freeview Scotland.

My party and I are firmly of the view that that should not be at the expense of other BBC channels, as is currently the suggestion. We simply cannot accept that the only way to provide BBC Alba on Freeview is to take down other BBC services. That has not happened for S4C in Wales and will not happen for TG4 in Northern Ireland, so the question is why it is necessary for BBC Alba in Scotland. There is space on the spectrum for BBC Alba; it is simply a case of making that space available. Perhaps the cabinet secretary can touch on that in his summing-up.

My second concluding point is simply this: I very much regret that John Farquhar Munro is not with us today. As a true son of Gaeldom, he is a fluent Gaelic speaker—so is Mr Alasdair Allan, whom I look forward to listening to. John Farquhar Munro has back trouble. We had hoped that his back was better but, unfortunately, he is not feeling too well today. With your permission, Presiding Officer, I will pass on to him the best wishes of the Parliament and its regret that he cannot be here to speak to us in his mother tongue.

We now move to the open debate. I should inform members that there will be a ministerial statement at half past 4, so the amount of spare time available is on average—I stress on average—about one minute per person until the end of the debate.

15:29

I acknowledge the fact that the minister, too, realises that it is important to know where we have come from. From the information that is available to him, does he have any sense of whether we have halted the decline of Gaelic? It would be useful to know that.

As we have finished early, I suspend this meeting until 20 to 5, when we will have a statement.

16:29 Meeting suspended.

16:40 On resuming—

Tha mi toilichte gu bheil cothrom eile againn an-diugh a bhith a’ bruidhinn anns a’ Ghàidhlig anns an t-seòmar, ge bith dè tha an Daily Mail a’ smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn sin. Ach, tòrr nas cudromaiche na sin, tha mi toilichte gu bheil rudeigin cho susbainteach againn airson cuspair deasbaid—am plana seo aig Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Tha e furasta a ràdh “Bha tòrr phlanaichean ann airson na Gàidhlig roimhe. Dè tha eadar-dhealaichte mun fhear ùr?” Ach tha rudeigin eadar-dhealaichte ann gu dearbh. Tha mi toilichte a ràdh gu bheil na ceuman anns a’ phlana seo soilleir agus practaigeach, agus tha iad a’ tòiseachadh leis a’ phrionnsapal seo: chan eil fad an latha againn. Is dòcha gur e seo an teans mu dheireadh againn airson na Gàidhlig.

Tha e tòrr nas soilleire a-nis far a bheil Bòrd na Gàidhlig a’ dol, a chionn ’s gu bheil amas làidir aige. Bho seo a-mach, mus tòisich am bòrd air pròiseact sam bith ùr, faighnichidh e a’ cheist seo: ciamar a bhiodh am pròiseact seo a’ cumail suas nan àireamhan a tha a’ bruidhinn na Gàidhlig ann an Alba? Tha Mgr Brocklebank ceart gum feum sinn a bhith ag ionnsachadh bho eisimpleir nam Maori ann an New Zealand. Nam biodh Jim Mather a’ stiùireadh Bòrd na Gàidhlig, tha mi cinnteach gum biodh e a’ cleachdadh an fhacail “alignment” airson feallsanachd den t-seòrsa sin.

Bidh e inntinneach a leantainn mar a bhios am plana air a leasachadh agus a’ fàs, ach tha rud no dhà gu sònraichte a’ leum a-mach às an duilleig an-dràsta. Airson aon rud, tha am plana a’ toirt taic mhòr gu pàrantan a tha a’ smaoineachadh mu fhoghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig airson an cloinne. Carson a tha misneachd den t-seòrsa sin feumail fhathast? Uill, cho fad ’s a tha sgoiltean a’ bruidhinn mu “foghlam Gàidhlig” agus “foghlam mainstream”, bidh cuid de phàrantan a’ fàs eagalach dè seòrsa mì-àbhàisteachd ’s a tha ann ann am oghlam Gàidhlig. Chan e a’ Ghàidhlig an roghainn “default”. Mar sin, feumaidh cuideigin a bhith a’ soisgeulachadh air a son. Sin an iomairt nàiseanta anns a’ phlana, tha mi an dòchas.

Tha e cudromach gu bheil am bòrd a-nis airson a bhith a’ bruidhinn le teaghlaichean cho luath ’s a tha an leanabh air a bhreith, agus a’ mìneachadh dè seòrsa cothroman a tha a’ tighinn le foghlam Gàidhlig. Tha e gu tric a’ cur iongnadh air daoine a chluinntinn nach eil ach aon sgoilear a-mach à ceathrar a’ dol tro fhoghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig anns na h-Eileanan an Iar, mar eisimpleir. Tha e inntinneach gu bheil am plana ag aideachadh gu bheil cnapan-starra ann fhathast airson tòrr phàrantan—cnapan-starra a tha stèidhichte ann an seann “hang-ups” mòra mun chànan. Tha e inntinneach cuideachd gu bheil am bòrd den bheachd gum biodh ceartas ùr fon lagh a’ briseadh sìos cuid de na beachdan seo co-dhiù—ceartas gu foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig far a bheil iarrtas reusanta ann.

Airson inbhich a tha a’ feuchainn ri Gàidhlig ionnsachadh, tha am plana misneachail cuideachd. Canaidh mi seo gu h-onarach: cha robh e furasta dhòmhsa Gàidhlig ionnsachadh agus tha mi ga h-ionnsachadh fhathast. Chan eil mi airson dragh a chur air duine sam bith a tha ag èisteachd a tha ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig. Chan eil mi a’ ciallachadh gur e cànan doirbh a tha anns a’ Ghàidhlig fhèin—ged nach eil facal ann airson “Yes” no “No”, agus nach eil an t-iolra ag obair ach le trì nithean ann, agus gu bheil am facal “boireannach” fireann agus am facal “feusag” boireann.

Tha mi dìreach a’ ciallachadh nach eil cothrom furasta ann gus an cànan a chleachdadh nuair a tha duine a’ tòiseachadh, fiù ’s air a’ Ghaidhealtachd, air sgath ’s nach eil mòran Ghàidheal—gu traidiseanta co-dhiu—a’ creidsinn nuair a chanas cuideigin gu bheil e ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig agus ag iarraidh a’ Ghàidhlig a chleachdadh mura bheil e fileanta mar-thà. Tha a h-uile duine ro mhodhail. Bidh mòran luchd-ionnsachaidh anns an t-suidheachadh seo a’ toirt fàilte dhan taic anns a’ phlana airson cùrsaichean ulpan agus a leithid. Bha mise a’ tadhail air clas den t-seòrsa sin ann an Steòrnabhagh o chionn ghoirid, agus bha e gu math inntinneach a bhith a’ faicinn cho nàdarrach ’s gun robh daoine ag ionnsachadh—gun fhacal gràmair agus gun fhacal Beurla air a chleachdadh. Tha am plana ag iarraidh gum biodh 2,000 neach air cùrsaichean den t-seòrsa seo a dhèanamh taobh a-staigh dà bhliadhna.

Tha am plana làidir a thaobh foghlaim san fharsaingeachd. A-rithist, tha amas gu math sònraichte ann: gum bi an àireamh de chloinn a’ dol gu “early years Gaelic groups” a’ dol suas 20 às a’ cheud taobh a-staigh dà bhliadhna, agus gum bi na h-àireamhan dhiubhsan a tha a’ dol a-steach do dh’ionadan Gàidhlig anns na sgoiltean a’ dol suas 15 às a’ cheud aig an aon àm.

Tha am plana deònach sùil a thoirt air dòighean obrach ùra—mar eisimpleir, mar a thuirt buill eile, tidsearan fhaighinn à Èirinn. Tha am plana a’ feuchainn a bhith a’ dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil clann a’ cumail am fileantais an dèidh dhaibh am bun-sgoil fhàgail, agus gu bheil iad a’ tuigsinn nach eil a’ Ghàidhlig dìreach airson na sgoile aca fhèin.

Is toiseach tòiseachaidh a h-uile rud, gun teagamh, ach gu pearsanta tha earbsa agam gu bheil Bòrd na Gàidhlig ann an staid tòrr nas fhallainne agus nas làidire airson na h-obrach mòire a tha roimhe. Tha mi a’ cur fàilte chridheil air a’ phlana agus a’ toirt taic don mholadh ann an ainm a’ mhinisteir.

Following is the simultaneous interpretation:

I am pleased to be able to speak about Gaelic in the chamber today, notwithstanding the comments of the Daily Mail. Much more important, I am pleased that we have something so substantial to debate today: this new plan of Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Because there have already been a lot of plans for Gaelic, it is easy to ask what is so different about this one. But there is something different about it. I am pleased to say that the steps in the plan are clear and practical. They start with this principle: we do not have all day; this may be our last chance.

It is now much clearer where Bòrd na Gàidhlig is going, because it has a much stronger aim. From here on in, before the board starts any project, it will ask how the project will maintain the number of people who speak Gaelic in Scotland. Ted Brocklebank is right to say that we need to learn from the Maori example. If Jim Mather were leading Bòrd na Gàidhlig, I am sure that he would use the word “alignment” for this sort of philosophy.

It will be interesting to follow how the plan will develop and grow. However, a few particular points leap off the page. For example, the plan gives a lot of support to parents who are thinking about Gaelic-medium education for their children. Why is that sort of encouragement still required? It is required because, as long as schools still talk about Gaelic-medium education as being different from mainstream education, some parents will still be frightened about the unusualness of Gaelic education. Gaelic is not the default choice, so people must act as advocates for it. That is the function of the national initiative in the plan.

It is also important that the board wants to speak to families as soon as a child is born to explain what sort of Gaelic education opportunities are available. It often surprises people when they hear that, in the Western Isles, only one pupil in four goes through Gaelic-medium education. It is interesting that, as the plan recognises, the old hang-ups around the language still act as a stumbling block for many parents. It is also interesting that the board believes that a new legal right to education in the medium of Gaelic, where reasonable demand exists, would overcome at least some of those negative opinions.

For adults who are trying to learn Gaelic, the plan is encouraging as well. I will say this honestly: it was not easy for me to learn Gaelic, and I am still learning. I do not mean to worry anyone who is learning Gaelic at the moment—I do not mean to suggest that Gaelic is a complicated language, even though there are no words for “yes” or “no”, nothing is plural unless there are three or more things, the word for a woman is masculine and the word for a beard is feminine. I simply mean that there is no easy opportunity to use the language when one starts to learn it, even in the Gaelic heartland. That is partly because many Gaelic speakers do not understand when someone who is learning Gaelic but is not already fluent asks them to speak Gaelic to them—everyone is too polite to do so. Many learners in that situation will welcome the support in the plan for open courses and the like. I visited one such course in Stornoway a while ago, and was interested to see how naturally people were learning, without a word of grammar or English being used. The plan wants 2,000 people to be on such courses within two years.

The plan is strong on education in a wider sense. Again, there is a specific aim to increase the number of children going to Gaelic-medium early years education by 20 per cent within two years, and for the number of children going into Gaelic units to increase by 15 per cent at the same time.

The plan is willing to consider new ways of working, such as the example of attracting teachers from Ireland. The plan tries to ensure that children remain fluent when they leave primary school and ensure that they understand that Gaelic is not to be used only when they are in school.

Without a doubt, a start has been made. I believe that Bòrd na Gàidhlig is in a much stronger and healthier state than previously to tackle the work that is ahead of it.

I give a warm welcome to the plan, and support the motion in the name of the minister.

Tapadh leibh.

15:35

I absolutely agree with the minister. Alasdair Allan is a good example of that. Once someone has mastered one language, they can master many languages—it becomes much easier to do so. That is a good thing in a modern European society, let alone in a wider, global society.

I have watched Sabhal Mòr Ostaig grow from that small, rather dilapidated barn into a campus that is superb by any standards, anywhere in the world. I have helped a bit with that at various times, in various different roles, by providing the odd cheque—not a personal cheque, I must say, but a Government or council cheque. Like Ted Brocklebank, I pay tribute to Sir Iain Noble for his work in that regard. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is not just a further education college but a centre for a series of important activity around Gaelic. As Ted Brocklebank said, a whole area of Skye has been regenerated on the back of that work.

We have also seen various spin-offs from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, through Cànan, Tobar an Dualchais, and so on. Lots of projects have spun out from that. I have seen Comunn na Gàidhlig, Clì Gàidhlig and Comann nam Pàrant develop over the years. Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig, which publishes books and other publications to support education and wider access to the language, has also been growing over the years. There have been new forms of adult learning, and ulpan, to which Alasdair Allan referred, has been an important part of that. I should also mention the impact of Runrig in modernising pride in the language and the wider culture at a particularly important time. The West Highland Free Press also takes the people, the land and the language as its theme.

I have watched the development of “Eòrpa”, which is a fantastic programme about contemporary European affairs that is made in the medium of Gaelic. In addition, the fèisean movement has had a huge impact on access to the language. There are umpteen important arts projects in which Mike Russell took part at a much earlier time in the Uists, when he was much slimmer than he is today. There is also MG Alba and the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which made Bòrd na Gàidhlig a statutory body with language plans. There is a vibrancy about Gaelic development that we have never seen before, which is to be welcomed. All those institutions and organisations have a lot of capacity and exist to address the decline in Gaelic that we all want to see addressed, and that is where my optimism comes from.

Part of the thinking behind making Bòrd na Gàidhlig a statutory body was the need to get all the resources marshalled and moving in the same direction, marching together, with the board providing some leadership for that. I hope very much that the new strategy will help to achieve that. If it does so, we can look forward to the number of new Gaelic speakers growing at a faster rate than the rate at which the indigenous language speakers are dying out. That is the crucial changeover that needs to take place.

I referred earlier to the ambitiousness of the targets in the report. I will illustrate that briefly by reference to three things: teacher numbers, pupil numbers and the specific grant. By any standards, achieving a 100 per cent increase in teacher numbers, year on year, is ambitious. It is not the first time that we have had a recruitment initiative—I initiated one as well—and it will be a tough challenge to deliver that, especially as it appears that there are currently few vacancies in Gaelic-medium education in the system. I checked websites about that through my office today. Why would someone train as a Gaelic-medium teacher if there are no vacancies? There are challenges in that, which I hope that ministers will address in order to improve the process.

Equally, although I agree with the objective of increasing pupil numbers by 15 per cent, that will not be easy to achieve in the short term unless we have the teachers. The two things are obviously connected. The target of increasing pupil numbers by 15 per cent is predicated, to some extent, on the Gaelic-specific grant being used to expand the provision. It has always been the intention to use the Gaelic-specific grant to do that and some of it has helped with that, but a large part has gone into mainstream funding for Gaelic-medium education. In the present financial climate, it will be very tough for councils to mainstream that funding and release the specific funding for new development. I hope that the matter is handled sensitively but firmly so that progress can be made. That said, I see progress being made on all those fronts.

I turn to something that Pauline McNeill touched on. The text of the report—but not the specific targets that I could find—talks about the 80 per cent drop-off in Gaelic-medium education between primary and secondary school. That is a crucial part of the development process that we must tackle. It is a key issue. Glasgow has the first Gaelic-medium secondary school and is showing how that can be done, but we need to move things forward. I am sorry that the report does not contain a specific target relating to how we can do that. Reference is made to it, but it is an issue that we need to look at. I wish the report well, although I have some reservations about the detail. That is why I also support our amendment, which proposes to keep the available resources under review—that is all that we are asking.

I associate myself with what Ted Brocklebank said about New Zealand. I had the opportunity to visit New Zealand when I was the Minister for Education and Young People, and I spent some time in looking at how Maori-medium education was being delivered. I spoke to the New Zealand equivalent of Bòrd na Gàidhlig and was hugely impressed by what it was doing. I remember speaking to Allan Campbell, who is sitting in the public gallery today, about that and trying to ensure that the board learned lessons from New Zealand. I also associate myself with what Ted Brocklebank said about confidence in the language making so much else happen in economic development and the regeneration of communities.

With that, I close my remarks, as I know that we are running short of time. I welcome the report and hope that it will lead to progress in the spirit that I have suggested.



15:44

I am in a Gaelic choir, and I think that the member’s wife is in one as well. I am slightly puzzled about where he is going. I am not aware that An Comunn Gàidhealach forces people to take qualifications. I understand that choirs as a whole have to have a certain number of people who are reasonably proficient, but individuals are not forced to take any courses, as far as I am aware.