The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-13316, in the name of Angus MacDonald, on the 10th anniversary of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Members will be aware that there is a Gaelic translation service for the debate, as previously intimated by the Presiding Officer. Headsets have been placed on desks, and the service can be found on audio channel 2.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes the 10th anniversary on 1 June of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 receiving Royal Assent; welcomes progress being made in bringing to fruition the priorities of the National Gaelic Language Plan; believes that Gaelic education has helped to reverse the decline of Scotland’s indigenous language; welcomes research conducted for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which found the value of Gaelic to businesses and communities to be up to £148.5 million per annum, demonstrating that what it considers the currently modest investment in Gaelic translates into a significant economic contribution, not just in the Highlands and Islands but in the central belt of Scotland; congratulates Bòrd na Gàidhlig on its work to promote the Gaelic language and culture and to encourage the many community groups that are creating opportunities for speakers of all ages and backgrounds while acknowledging that it is today’s young children who will keep Gaelic alive and flourishing in the future, and notes calls for all of Scotland to participate in the task already underway of stemming and reversing the decline of the Gaelic language to ensure its survival in the long term.
17:07
Mòran taing, Oifigeir-riaghlaidh. Tha mi air mo dhòigh glan an cothrom seo fhaighinn gus an deasbad seo a thoirt ro sheòmar-deasbaid na Pàrlamaid agus bu mhath leam taing a thoirt dha na buill a chuir an ainmean ris a’ ghluasad a’ comharrachadh deich bliadhna de dh’Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005, a’ leigeil dhuinn an deasbad seo a chumail an-diugh.
Tha an deasbad seo cudthromach air sgàth ’s gum feum sinn dèanamh cinnteach, mar Phàrlamaid agus mar Riaghaltas, ge brith dè ar pàrtaidhean poilitigeach, gum bi Gàidhlig ga bruidhinn agus ga cleachdadh ann an Alba agus gu bheil sinn a’ dealbhachadh àm ri teachd seasmhach dhan Ghàidhlig.
Gu mì-fhortanach, feumaidh mi tionndadh air ais dhan Bheurla. ’S e mo leisgeul gur e townie a th’ annam à Steòrnabhagh bho thùs, agus tha fhios is cinnt nach eil Gàidhlig cho math aig coves Steòrnabhaigh.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
Many thanks, Presiding Officer. I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead this debate in the Parliament’s chamber. I thank members who added their names to the motion to commemorate and celebrate 10 years since the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 was passed and to enable the debate to go ahead.
The debate is important, because we need to ensure as a Parliament and as a Government, whatever political party we belong to, that Gaelic continues to be spoken and used in Scotland and that we plan for a secure future for it.
Unfortunately, I must go back to English. My excuse is that I am originally a townie from Stornoway, and it is an accepted fact that the Gaelic of Stornoway coves is not that good.
The member continued in English.
The debate is important because we have to ensure as a Parliament and as a Government of whatever political colour that Gaelic continues to be spoken and used in Scotland and that we create a sustainable future for the Gaelic language.
We are here to highlight the on-going good work to stem the decline in our indigenous and precious language and to celebrate 10 years since the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 secured royal assent. That act not only established Bòrd na Gàidhlig as the public body responsible for the preservation of Gaelic but affirmed Gaelic as an official language of Scotland that enjoys equal respect with English. Sadly, that equal respect is not always evident, but I have been impressed by action that a number of public bodies have taken and by the efforts that they have made to promote Gaelic, which is a language that is dear to all, or at least most, of our hearts.
I have been a strong supporter of Gaelic all my life. Both my grandfathers spoke Gaelic, and I was taught it as early as primary 1 in Sandwickhill primary school, which is just outside Stornoway. Sadly, that has not had the desired effect. To my shame as a Leòdhasach, I am not fluent in the language of my ancestors, although I hope to sort that at some point in the not-too-distant future. I admit that I have been promising that for a while.
I have supported the language all my political life and I successfully attracted the Royal National Mod to Falkirk in 2008. As the convener of the local organising committee, I hoped to leave a lasting legacy for Gaelic in Falkirk district, and I am glad to say that the Falkirk Gaelic forum has carried that work forward.
In Falkirk, the Scottish Government provides a specific grant for Gaelic and has offered to discuss the potential of capital for any project support that may be identified. Falkirk Council has actively embraced the Gaelic language in primary school—GLPS—programme: 25 per cent of Falkirk Council primary schools deliver GLPS and a total of 26 members of staff will have been trained to deliver the programme by the end of March 2016. Although there is no Gaelic-medium education in Falkirk, the council supports all applications and provides free transport, which allows pupils to attend GME outwith the authority’s area, usually at neighbouring GME schools in Stirling and North Lanarkshire.
Falkirk’s Gaelic language plan is monitored by the Falkirk Council officers group and Falkirk community group, with input from Fèis Fhoirt, An Clas Gàidhlig, An Comunn Gàidhealach, Falkirk junior Gaelic choir and Falkirk Gaelic forum. The groups track the plan’s progress and suggest action to further develop the language. Falkirk Council is one of 40 public authorities that have had Gaelic plans agreed by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and although, sadly, Falkirk’s Gaelic language plan has already missed some of its targets, I hope that it will catch up, with a bit of encouragement from the forum.
I am pleased to say that, within the past week, a Gaelic development officer has been appointed in a joint project between Falkirk Council and the Falkirk Gaelic forum, which will allow further language and cultural development of Gaelic to be delivered throughout nurseries and schools. The development officer will also deliver staff training, carry out a feasibility study for GME and create a greater profile for Gaelic in the Falkirk area. That is an extremely heartening development.
Plenty of good work is going on locally in Falkirk. Nationally, we are well over halfway through the national Gaelic language plan for 2012 to 2017, which places a strong focus on the role that Gaelic-medium education has to play in future years to increase the numbers of young Gaelic speakers and ensure that the language has a sustainable and vibrant future. The use of Gaelic in the home and in the community is a strong element of that.
The 2011 census figures provided positive news about Gaelic in Scotland. The statistics showed an overall trend in which the number of Gaelic speakers had more or less stabilised in comparison with figures from the 2001 census. There are 57,000 Gaelic speakers in Scotland, and in excess of 90,000 people have some ability in the language. The results also showed a small increase in the number of people under 20 who can speak Gaelic and showed that more than 14,000 children between the ages of five and 18 are learning the language at different levels across Scotland each week.
One aspect of Gaelic that is not broadcast enough is its economic and social benefits. A joint agency research project that was published last year looked at the ways in which Gaelic is being used to deliver economic and social benefits to businesses, social enterprises and communities and at how its impact can be maximised. Entitled “Ar Stòras Gàidhlig”—or “Our Gaelic Resource”—the report demonstrates how the language is being used to add value in a wide variety of circumstances and highlights Gaelic’s considerable potential to bring further benefits to businesses, communities and individuals.
Almost 70 per cent of the businesses that were consulted said that Gaelic is an asset to their activities and more than half of businesses—60 per cent—and 85 per cent of community organisations that responded to the survey stated that Gaelic features as a key element of their work. From that result, the researchers calculated that the economic value of Gaelic as an asset to the wider Scottish economy could be up to £148.5 million a year.
The findings of the research demonstrate emphatically that investment by the Scottish Government in Gaelic translates into a significant economic contribution not just in the Highlands and Islands but in the central belt. It is worth noting that, when the Mod was held in Falkirk in 2008, it attracted £1.5 million to the local economy, just when we were struggling with the economic downturn. Figures for last year’s Mod in Inverness show that it took in more than £3 million for the local economy.
Previous studies have shown that, relative to its size, the Gaelic community punches well above its weight in its contribution in a range of sectors. Loyalty to language and culture is a powerful motivating force and it is encouraging to see the growing support for Gaelic at grass-roots and institutional levels and to see the economic benefits as well as the social, cultural and linguistic benefits that accrue from the concerted action that is being developed.
With such figures, there is hope for our precious indigenous language, but only if we all work to ensure its survival and growth. I am committed to playing my part and I hope that everyone else is too. Mòran taing.
17:15
Oifigeir-riaghlaidh, tha mi a’ cur fàilte air Aonghas Dòmhnallach airson an deasbad seo a chur air dòigh agus tha mi fìor thoilichte pàirt a ghabhail ann, agus gus an deicheamh ceann-bliadhna aig Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 a chomharrachadh. ’S e ceum cudthromach air adhart a bh’ anns an achd ach cha bu chòir dhuinn a bhith dìreach a’ coimhead air ais an-diugh, ach a bhith a’ coimhead air adhart cuideachd.
Tha cor nas fheàrr air a’ Ghàidhlig an-diugh na bha oirre mus robh an achd ann, ach feumar barrachd a dhèanamh ma tha Gàidhlig gu bhith seasmhach airson nan ginealach ri tighinn agus gus an tèid againn air ràdh gu fìrinneach gur e dùthaich trì-ghuthach a tha seo, mar a chaidh a chur an cèill ann an dàn le Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn aig fosgladh Pàrlamaid na h-Alba.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
I congratulate Angus MacDonald on securing the debate, and I warmly welcome the chance to contribute and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005. That act was a good step forward, but we should not only look back today but look ahead as well.
Gaelic is in a better condition today than it was before the act but more must be done if we are to secure Gaelic for future generations and assert with truth that this is a three-voiced country, as the poem by Iain Crichton Smith asserted at the opening of this Scottish Parliament.
The member continued in English.
Of course, that is just three voices. English, Gaelic and Scots may be uniquely ours—and I include English because TS Eliot once contended that English was only spoken properly in Richmond, Virginia, and in Edinburgh—but there are now other voices to be heard in our land.
Our first obligation is to the languages that belong to us. It will be our fault and nobody else’s if Gaelic does not survive. It is possible to countenance such an outcome—languages die every year in our world. The present Scottish Government has halted the precipitate decline of Gaelic over the last century, but we are still perilously close to the cliff edge. It is a cliff edge of an increasingly elderly population for whom Gaelic is their first language and a younger population that sometimes does not value what it has inherited.
Although we should be glad of, celebrate and support all the work that has gone on to get us to this stage, there is much more to do. We need to create a new generation of Gaelic speakers and our educational system will not yet do that. We certainly need more Gaelic-medium schools, but we also need a substantial expansion in opportunities for adult learners and we need to create some places and spaces where Gaelic is not optional or desirable but essential. There have been ideas about how that might be done over the years, but those proposals now need urgent attention and action.
I know that the minister is more than sympathetic to this cause. He is an example to us all—a Gaelic learner who is fluent and a Scots speaker who wrote his thesis in the language. He is truly three voiced. However, he also knows that he is the exception and that, if we are to grow languages, as the Government, to its credit, is trying to do, we need resources and commitment for the long term and for those—the rest of us—who are not exceptions.
We also need to move on in legislative terms. My own Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill—the first Gaelic language bill—was introduced as a member’s bill in 2002 out of desperation at the failure of the first Scottish Government to honour its promises. The bill was voted down by that coalition Government so that it could introduce its own legislation, which, to its credit, it did in the second session.
The 2005 act was always seen as a start, not a conclusion. We now need to consider a wider piece of language legislation that encompasses the many-voiced nation we have become and that also strengthens our commitment to our two indigenous languages and focuses our resources where they are needed most to make Gaelic survive. That is a challenge that we should all rise to, perhaps in the next session of the Parliament, because there is still much to be done.
17:19
Bu mhath leam meal a naidheachd a chur air Aonghas Dòmhnallach airson an deasbad seo a chur ri chèile. Tha mi den bheachd gur sinne dithis de na chiad daoine anns na teaghlaichean againn fhèin a tha air Beurla a bhruidhinn mar chiad chànan, agus gu bheil an dithis againn airson dèanamh cinnteach gum bi cumhachd aig na daoine anns an àm ri teachd gus Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
I congratulate Angus MacDonald on securing the debate. I have the idea that we are both the first people in our own families to speak English as our first language and that we both want to ensure that those who follow us will have the ability to speak the Gaelic language.
The member continued in English.
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 was brought forward 10 years ago by the Scottish Executive in which I served. The land, the language and the people of the Gàidhealtachd have always mattered a great deal to my party, Scottish Labour. For me, that act is one of the things that we created the Parliament in order to bring about.
The act affirmed Gaelic as an official language of Scotland and created Bòrd na Gàidhlig to sustain that status for the future. The board has enjoyed cross-party support throughout the past 10 years, and I am confident that that will continue. However, political good will, on its own, is not enough. If Gaelic is to contribute to our future as well as our past, that will require people to speak it and children to learn it as a first language. It will require visible and audible commitments from public bodies across Scotland to its official status, and it will require Gaelic to continue as a language of music and the media, culture and creativity, as well as of home and school.
That is why Gaelic language plans are so important, not just in the Highlands and Islands and the central belt but in the north-east of Scotland. Aberdeen City Council has been considering its Gaelic language plan today, following the adoption of similar plans by the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire Council and the Cairngorms National Park Authority. Although councillors have to be comfortable with the plan, Scotland’s third city must not fall too far behind Glasgow and Edinburgh in providing leadership in delivering public policy on language and culture in our cities, with cross-party support. After all, Aberdeen is the city with the highest proportion of citizens who were born outwith these islands altogether. As a multilingual and multicultural city, Aberdeen should be second to none in recognising and celebrating its cultural diversity.
A good deal is already going on in schools there, as I know from my family. My daughter lona sat her higher Gàidhlig a few weeks ago, having been taught through the medium of Gaelic at nursery and primary school since the age of two. She has spent most of her 17 years learning and speaking the Gaelic language and, incidentally, her skills in the English language are all the better as a result. However, like other places, Aberdeen needs a step change in the scale of Gaelic-medium activity in schools, cultural activities and language learning. That is why the city’s Gaelic language plan needs to be delivered sooner rather than later.
It is important, not just in Aberdeen but across the country, that more is done to enable children and young people to study Gaelic without losing access to other modern languages. A bilingual education equips children brilliantly to add further languages as they progress through school, but in practice many pupils who choose to keep up their Gaelic at secondary school have little opportunity to learn other modern languages until they reach secondary 6. I hope that the minister will say what more the Government will do to increase the uptake of all modern languages in view of the falls at national 5 level that were recorded in the last school year.
A great deal has been achieved in the decade since the 2005 act was passed, but there remains a great deal still to do. Like the other speakers, I look forward to an ever-higher profile for the Gaelic language and culture in Aberdeen and across Scotland in the future.
Mòran taing.
17:23
I join other members in supporting the motion and its sentiment. I thank Angus MacDonald for securing the debate and giving us the opportunity to discuss Gaelic. The collective efforts to ensure the preservation of Gaelic appear to be bearing fruit but, as we will all agree, there is still much more to do.
Like other members who are present, I remember the passing of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005. I remember John Farquhar Munro and Alasdair Morrison. I do not know whether I am speaking out of turn, but I always felt that, for the two of them, English seemed to be a second language. They were very familiar with Gaelic, as they had been brought up as native Gaelic speakers.
As with Lewis Macdonald and Angus MacDonald, my mother was brought up with English as her second language, as she was brought up in Ranafast and Dungloe in Donegal, an area with which Willie Coffey is familiar. Therefore, I am the first on my mother’s side of the family to speak English as a first language. They never called it “the Gaelic”; they did not call it “the Gay-lic”—it was indeed “Irish”. They spoke, and they still speak, Irish or English.
I welcome the considerable improvements towards reversing the decline of the Gaelic language, as well as the economic benefits of the culture, on which so much was said by Angus MacDonald in his opening statement and which Highlands and Islands Enterprise also found. It is worth putting on record that it is also Bórd na Gàidhlig’s 10th anniversary as the body responsible for the promotion of the Gaelic culture and language.
Gaelic is an integral part of the history and traditions of the Highlands and Islands but also of those across Scotland. The Scottish social attitudes survey 2012 found that 76 per cent of those surveyed viewed Gaelic as important to our heritage and culture and 81 per cent wished there to be at least as many Gaelic speakers as there are now in 50 years’ time. However, only 45 per cent expected that to be the case, so the improvements in Gaelic education and promotion must continue to help confound that fairly pessimistic prediction.
I think that we can all claim success. Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP contributed, but the Conservatives also contributed to Gaelic culture and language during the 1990s, and they established the first Gaelic-medium unit in a school in Lewis in 1986. In fact, the precursor to BBC Alba—the Gaelic television fund—was established by the Secretary of State for Scotland in 1990 and expanded further in 1996 to include radio broadcasting. We can all take a bit of credit, but we can also say that there is still much more to do.
One of the success stories in Scottish education over the past 30 years has been the expansion of Gaelic education, with the number of children in Gaelic-medium education rising from 24, with the establishment of the Gaelic-medium unit at Breasclete school in 1986, to more than 3,500 last year. Since the beginning of the national Gaelic language plan, we have seen the number of those pupils rise by nearly a quarter, and the number of Gaelic-learner classes has risen by 12 per cent since 2001.
In finishing, I do not mean to be party political, but I think that it has to be mentioned that the 2011 Scottish National Party manifesto stated the intention to examine
“how we can introduce an entitlement to Gaelic medium education”.
Fair dos—that is exactly what it said. As a member of the Education and Culture Committee, I think that it is worth noting that the Education (Scotland) Bill does not give an entitlement to Gaelic education but gives education authorities a fairly lukewarm duty
“to assess the need for Gaelic medium education”
following a parental request and a further duty to actively promote and support Gaelic-medium education. Therefore it falls well short of an entitlement.
That said, I very much welcome the progress, I welcome the debate and I hope for another successful 10 years.
Deicheamh co-latha-breith sona—I think that that is “Happy 10th birthday”.
17:28
I too congratulate Angus MacDonald on bringing this important debate to the chamber. I am sorry that I am unable to speak in one of Scotland’s other languages in this debate.
Surely there can be little doubt of the value of the Gaelic language, given the number of economic, cultural and any number of other consultations that have been carried out in recent decades, perhaps culminating 10 years ago, we might have hoped, in the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005.
All that has been achieved across all the political parties and none. Those lobbying for recognition and promotion of the language have done well in achieving that.
It seems to me now that we do not need more Gaelic language plans or consultations, more evidence or further justification for language development. We now need to promote the worth of the language, as people are establishing here tonight, and the opportunities that it provides. Those could be opportunities, as Angus MacDonald has highlighted, in the new Gaelic economy. It could be opportunities in preschool and primary education for both children and teachers.
When learning a language such as French in school, children are not taught on a word-for-word basis but, instead, learn about the country, its people, its history, its geography, its food, its industry, its produce and its culture. So it is with Gaelic. Many of the children who attend school in the Highlands and Islands, the region that I represent, come from across the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. They are putting down roots and are learning much more than just the language. Although their granny might be in Manchester or Shetland, they are, through the indigenous language of the Gàidhealtachd, confidently establishing their roots in the local community.
In times past, parents would speak in Gaelic when they did not want their children to know what they were talking about. That is reversed in many households across the Highlands and Islands today, with children speaking in Gaelic when they do not want their parents to know what they are talking about.
I have to mention the lobby against the investment in Gaelic, whether those efforts concern education or road signs. I believe that it is incumbent on all members of this place to challenge that opposition and to make the positive case that has evolved since the introduction of the 2005 act.
Now that we are where we are, I also call on the Gaelic-speaking community to show its support for Scotland’s other languages. The chamber was recently united in welcoming Scotland’s culturally diverse communities. I think that we have to show the same commitment to recognising how culturally diverse Scotland herself is and to highlighting the wealth of Scottish languages, such as Lallans and Doric. They are called dialects, but I would argue with anyone who says that that is what they are. Anyone who speaks in strong Doric or Shetlandic certainly appears to have a language of their own, and we must celebrate that.
I have sympathy with Angus MacDonald’s as-yet unfulfilled ambition to become fluent in the Gaelic language. I have promised myself on several occasions to do the same.
Mary Scanlon has highlighted the difference between the SNP manifesto and the current policy. In 2011, I stood on a manifesto that said that the SNP would support the expansion of Gaelic-medium education “where reasonable demand exists”. Further, the 2007 manifesto said:
“We will guarantee in law the right to a Gaelic-medium education”.
There might be practical reasons for that change, but I ask the minister and the Scottish Government to review the situation and continue to show that Scotland needs to recognise the worth of the Gaelic language, for all of the reasons that have been stated.
17:33
Tapadh leibh, Oifigeir-riaghlaidh. Tha mi a’ cur meala naidheachd air Aonghas Dòmhnallach airson an gluasad seo a chur air beulaibh na Pàrlamaid. Tha mi toilichte a bhith a’ comharrachadh deich bliadhna on a thàinig Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 gu bith. Bu chòirear beachdachadh air buaidh Achd na Gàidhlig le pròis ach le sùil, cuideachd, air mar a ghabhadh an tuilleadh neartachaidh a thoirt air suidheachadh na Gàidhlig.
Thug an achd dhuinn bunait airson spèis co-ionann ris a’ Bheurla a thoirt don Ghàidhlig. Thug i dhuinn Bòrd na Gàidhlig le dleastanas plana nàiseanta Gàidhlig a dheasachadh, a’ stèidheachadh slighe air adhart don chànan. Tha cead aig a’ bhòrd iarraidh air buidhnean poblach planaichean Gàidhlig a chur an gnìomh. Tha iomadh rud feumail air tachairt ri a linn. Tha an cànan nas follaisiche. Tha na h-ealain Ghàidhlig gan adhartachadh le Alba Chruthachail is eile. Tha an àireamh de dh’inbhich ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig air èirigh.
Thug Achd na Gàidhlig buaidh air poileasaidhean an Riaghaltais. Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba air taic a chumail ri BBC Alba, ged a tha craoladh fhathast fo smachd Pàrlamaid Westminster.
Thàinig ro-innleachd airson foghlam Gàidhlig tro Achd na Gàidhlig. Tha àireamh sgoilearan ann am foghlam tron Ghàidhlig air èirigh, agus tha taic ann bhon Riaghaltas seo airson sgoiltean Gàidhlig fa leth. Bu chòirear a bhith dòchasach mun àm ri teachd an dèidh toradh a’ chunntais-shluaigh mu dheireadh, agus bidh cothrom eile againn rùn Achd na Gàidhlig a neartachadh tro Bhile an Fhoghlaim (Alba). Tha sinn mothachail air an fhianais a nochd ann am freagairtean do Chomataidh an Fhoghlaim agus a’ Chultair, agus tha e follaiseach gu bheil cuid a dh’eòlaichean air a’ Ghàidhlig den bheachd nach eil am bile a’ dol fada gu leòr. Tha cuid den bharail gum feum còir laghail shoilleir a bhith ann air foghlam tron Ghàidhlig, nuair a tha iarrtas reusanta ann air a shon—cho math ri stiùireadh reachdail—ma tha foghlam na Gàidhlig gu bhith ga neartachadh agus ga leudachadh. Bhiodh sin a rèir gheallaidhean a thug sinn seachad agus bu chòir dhuinn a h-uile oidhirp a dhèanamh na geallaidhean sin a choileanadh.
Tha mi an dòchas gun èist Comataidh an Fhoghlaim agus a’ Chultair gu cùramach ris na beachdan a tha air nochdadh agus gum bi am ministear deònach gabhail ri atharrachaidhean sa bhile, gus an dèanar cinnteach gun gabh iarrtasan phàrantan airson foghlam Gàidhlig a choileanadh. Chan e seo an t-àm airson deasbad mu dheidhinn sin, ach chan ann tric a tha laghan gan cruthachadh a dh’fhaodadh suidheachadh na Gàidhlig a chuideachadh.
Aig a’ cheann thall, bheireadh am bile ùr cothrom dhuinn buaidh thaiceil a thoirt air mar a tha sinn a’ coileanadh amasan Achd na Gàidhlig.
Mu dheireadh, tha e iomchaidh taing a thoirt dhan a h-uile duine a tha an sàs gu dealasach a’ brosnachadh agus a’ leasachadh na Gàidhlig, ga teagasg agus ga cleachdadh nan obair làitheil agus nan coimhearsnachdan.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
I congratulate Angus MacDonald on bringing the motion before Parliament. I am happy that we are marking 10 years since the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 was enacted. We should consider the effect of the act with pride, but with an eye to what still needs to be done to strengthen the position of Gaelic.
The act gave us the basis for promoting Gaelic and for giving it the same respect as English. It gave us Bòrd na Gàidhlig, which has a duty to prepare a national Gaelic language plan that establishes a way forward for the language. The board has the ability to ask public bodies to deliver Gaelic language plans. Many beneficial things have happened as a result of it. The language is more visible, the Gaelic arts are being promoted by Creative Scotland and the number of adults who are learning the language has increased.
The 2005 act has influenced the Government’s policies. The Scottish Government has supported BBC Alba, even although broadcasting is reserved to the Westminster Parliament.
A strategy for Gaelic education resulted from the 2005 act. The number of pupils in Gaelic-medium education has increased and there is support from the Government for stand-alone Gaelic schools. We should be hopeful for the future, following the results of the last census. We will have an additional opportunity to strengthen the spirit of the act through the Education (Scotland) Bill. Being mindful of the evidence that has been forthcoming in submissions to the Education and Culture Committee, I say that it is clear that some people who are knowledgeable about matters of Gaelic are of the opinion that the bill does not go far enough. Some are of the view that there must be a legal right to Gaelic education when reasonable demand has been demonstrated, as well as statutory guidance if Gaelic education is to be strengthened and expanded. That would be in line with promises that have been made, so we should strive to fulfil those promises.
I hope that the Education and Culture Committee will carefully note the views that have come forward and that the minister would be willing to consider amendments to the bill that would ensure that parental demand for Gaelic education is met. Now is not the time for a debate on matter, but it is not often that legislation is prepared that could help to strengthen Gaelic.
In the final analysis, the new bill gives us an opportunity to have a positive influence on how we deliver the aspirations of the 2005 act.
Finally, it is appropriate to thank all those who diligently promote and develop Gaelic, those who teach it and those who use it in their daily work and in their communities.
17:37
Mòran taing, Presiding Officer. Tha mi ag iarraidh taing a thoirt dha Aonghas Dòmhnallach airson na h-obrach cudthromaich aige, gu h-àiraid air a’ ghluasad seo. Tha mi cuideach ag iarraidh taing a thoirt dha Bòrd na Gàidhlig, agus gach buidheann is neach a tha ag obair airson Gàidhlig a dhèanamh nas làidir. Tha fhios agam gu bheil iad uile ag obair gu cruaidh airson a’ chànain.
Chan eil mi fileanta sa Ghàidhlig, ach tha mi ag ionnsachadh barrachd gach latha. Tha mo nighean fileanta agus bidh an dithis dheugairean aice ga bruidhinn cuideachd. Tha ban-ogha agam na sgoilear aig Àrd-sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu agus bidh mac mo mhic ag ionnsachadh aig an sgoil-àraich ann an Dùn Èideann. Tha tòrr teaghlaichean mar seo anns an latha an-duigh is bu chòir dhuinn uile a bhith a’ faireachdainn dòchasach mun àm ri teachd.
Nuair a bha mi nam bhall-comhairle ann an Inbhir Nis, bha a’ bhun-sgoil Ghàidhlig anns an sgìre agam. Sin a’ chiad sgoil a bha air an togail gu sònraichte airson a bhith na sgoil Ghàidhlig. An-duigh, tha a’ bhun-sgoil gus a bhith làn—naidheachd glè mhath. A bharrachd air seo, tha mi glè thoilichte gu bheil Sabhal Mòr Ostaig cho soirbheachail. Tha e air tòrr oileanaich a tharraing bho iomadh duthaich dhan Eilean Sgitheanach, far a bheil an ath-bheothachadh seo air iomadh buannachd a thoirt dhan sgìre.
Mar a tha an gluasad ag ràdh, tha an sgeulachd de Gàidhlig air a bhith fìor shoirbheachail—cho soirbheachail gu bheil e a’ togail £150 millean not. Chaidh ceudan de bliadhnaichean seachad agus cha robh cothrom aig a’ chànan a bhith a’ fàs. Ach an-duigh tha an cultar againn beò is soirbheachail, tha an ceòl àlainn is tha na seinneadairean tàlantach againn ainmeil air feadh an t-saoghail.
Ged a bheil seo fìor, chan eil a h-uile rud math. Feumaidh sinn barrachd obair a dhèanamh air rudan mar na h-àireamhean de cuspairean a th’ ann an àrd-sgoiltean. Ach tha fios aig a’ mhinistear gu bheil trioblaid le sin ann an sgoiltean Beurla cuideachd. Feumaidh sinn obair ann an dòigh shùbailte—a’ cleachdadh teicneòlas agus ag obair ri chèile—airson dèanabh cinnteach gu bheil cothroman sgoinneil aig a’ chloinn againn. Ma tha sinn a’ coimhead air ais 10 bliadhna, tha e furasda fhaicinn gu bheil rudan nas fheàrr, ach tha tòrr ri dhèanamh fhathast a thaobh nan cothroman a th’ ann airson luchd-ionnsachaidh a tha air an sgoil fhàgail cuideachd.
Tha mi ag iarraidh rudeigin a chantainn mu dheidhinn cànan eile a-nis: Scots. Tha mi airson faicinn an uiread de adhartas is urram a tha an cànan Gàidhlig a’ faighinn airson a’ chànain Scots cuideachd. Tha e ceart gur e nàisean ùr, nuadh a th’ ann an Alba, ach bu chòir dhuinn urram a toirt do ar n-eachdraidh.
Tha mi glè thoilichte beagan Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn nar Pàrlamaid a-rithist. Feumaidh sinn cleachdadh na Gàidhlg—ciamar a chanas mi “normalise”?—anns a’ Phàrlamaid.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
I congratulate Angus MacDonald on his work and on the motion, which is very important. I also congratulate Bòrd na Gàidhlig and all the other Gaelic organisations and Gaelic workers on all their work. I know that they are all very busy working for the language.
I am not a native Gaelic speaker, but I am learning every day. My daughter is fluent, and my two teenage granddaughters are fluent, as well. I have a granddaughter at Glasgow high school and a grandson who goes to the Gaelic nursery in Edinburgh. Many more families are now like that. We must all feel positive about the years ahead.
When I was a councillor in Inverness, Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis was in my ward; it was Scotland’s first purpose-built Gaelic school. It is bigger now and we need more places because our schools are very busy, which is good news. Likewise, I am pleased that Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has many students from many countries and is an international success. SMO is on Skye, and the surrounding area of the south of Skye has flourished because of the Gaelic language.
As the motion says, Gaelic is an economic success—a near-£150 million success. For centuries our culture was not allowed to flourish, but now, because of our beautiful Gaelic music and our many great singers, Gaelic is known and loved in many countries.
Not everything is good. Some things, like the number of subjects that are taught at our Gaelic high schools, could be better. However, as the minister knows, that also applies to English language schools. We must use flexibility and technology to get the number of pupils who are needed for any class, whether in Gaelic or English, to be a success. Opportunities for adult learners could be better, too. However, if we look over the past 10 years there has been progress and much good work has been done.
I want to say something about another language: Scots. I want to see the respect that is now given to Gaelic being given to Scots, as well. Scotland is a modern nation that must respect its past and its history.
I am happy to be able to speak a little in Gaelic in our nation’s Parliament again. We must be able to normalise speaking the Gaelic language in the Parliament.
17:42
Tapadh leibh, Oifigear-riaghlaidh. Tha e na thoileachadh dhòmhsa gu bheil Pàrlamaid na h-Alba a’ comharrachadh a’ chinn-là shònraichte seo den reachdas a th’ air a bhith cho cudthromach don Ghàidhlig, agus do dh’Alba. Meal a naidheachd air Aonghas Dòmhnallach airson an deasbad seo a chumail agus tha mi cuideachd ag aithneachadh na h-obrach fìor mhath a tha e air a bhith a’ dèanamh anns an Eaglais Bhric airson na Gàidhlig.
Tha mi air a bhith ag èisteachd gu dlùth ri gach ball a th’ air a bhith a’ bruidhinn an-diugh anns an deasbad inntinneach seo. Tha mi toilichte gu bheil taic airson na Gàidhlig san t-seòmar bho gach pàrtaidh. Mar eisimpleir, mar a thuirt Lewis Dòmhnallach, ’s e Riaghaltas Làbarach-Lib Deamach aig an àm a thug Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 tron Phàrlamaid, agus gu dearbh tha Màiri Scanlon ceart a ràdh gun do thòisich fàs ann an craoladh na Gàidhlig—telebhisean na Gàidhlig co-dhiù—fo smachd Riaghaltas Tòraidh, agus tha dleastanas leantainneach againn obrachadh còmhla gus suidheachadh na Gàidhlig a chumail seasmhach agus brìghmhor san àm ri teachd.
Tha ar mion-chànain agus ar cànain dùthchasach cudthromach dhuinn uile. Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh air Albais cuideachd, agus tha buill ceart a bhith a’ bruidhinn mu dheidhinn sin. Tha mi a’ creidsinn nach eil for aig mòran gu bheil deich cànain dùthchasach air am bruidhinn an-diugh air feadh Eileanan Bhreatainn agus gu bheil iad a’ smaointinn gu bheil sinn uile aon-chànanach. Tha seo fada bhon fhìrinn. Tha daoine bho gach cèarn de na h-eileanan seo a’ cleachdadh chànan dùthchasach a bharrachd air a’ Bheurla airson conaltradh le caraidean, càirdean, luchd-teagaisg, luchd-obrach agus seirbheisean poblach. Ged a tha iad nam mion-shluagh, chan eil e a’ leantainn nach eil iad ann.
Tha e doirbh airson muinntir na h-Alba ar cànain a leigeil seachad. Tha iad mun cuairt oirnn uile agus togaidh iad aire gach Albannach uaireigin. Tha iad nar beanntan is nar n-uisgeachan-beatha. Tha iad nar ceòl is nar bàrdachd, nar n-eachdraidh, nar n-ainmean-àite is nar poileataics cuideachd. Gu dearbh tha amharas agam, san aonamh linn air fhichead, far a bheil sinn a’ faireachdainn nas aon-chànanaich gach latha, gu bheil barrachd chothroman ar cànain fhaicinn, a chluinntinn agus a leughadh an-diugh ann an Alba na bh’ ann an linn sam bith roimhe. Cha ghabh an diùltadh mar eileamaid de ar dualchas agus tha e ceart gum bu chòir ar cànain fhaicinn is a chluinntinn.
Tha Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 air a bhith cudthromach don Ghàidhlig airson iomadh adhbhar. An toiseach, thug an reachdas dhuinn na briathran cudthromach mu spèis co-ionann ris a’ Bheurla agus chan fhuilear dhuinn seo a dhìochuimhneachadh. Thug e inbhe don Ghàidhlig mar chànan nàiseanta na h-Alba. Tha seo cudthromach do dhearbh-aithne ar dùthcha, san àm a dh’fhalbh agus san àm ri teachd.
Tha na cumhachdan agus dleastanasan a thug an reachdas seo don bhòrd—plana Gàidhlig nàiseanta ullachadh agus iarraidh air buidhnean poblach planaichean Gàidhlig aca fhèin ullachadh—air a bhith a cheart cho cudthromach, a’ sealltainn gu bheil taic ann airson ar cànain nàiseanta ann am beatha phoblach na h-Alba.
A dh’aindeoin bhriathran an aghaidh ar cànain a chluinnear uaireannan bho earrannan de na meadhanan—bha Jean Urquhart a’ bruidhinn mu dheidhinn seo, tha mi a’ creidsinn—tha planaichean Gàidhlig air a bhith cudthromach airson an suidheachadh far a bheil sinn an-diugh a ruighinn. Às aonais nam planaichean seo, cha bhiodh sinn air aire dhaoine a thogail chun na h-ìre seo agus cha bhiodh an ìre de ghnìomhan agus seirbheisean rim faighinn tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a gheibhear an-diugh bho na buidhnean poblach. Anns na planaichean aig ùghdarrasan ionadail gu h-àraidh, cha bhiodh an aon adhartas air a bhith ann a thaobh an taice a chuirear ri leasachadh agus fàs ann am foghlam Gàidhlig aig gach ìre.
Tha adhartas lìonmhor air a bhith san taic a chithear don Ghàidhlig o chionn ghoirid a thaobh ealain, cultar agus foghlam. Anns na meadhanan agus craoladh, tha sinn cuideachd air deagh adhartas fhaicinn. Tha sinn a’ faicinn cho soirbheachail ’s a tha MG Alba air a bhith ag obrachadh leis a’ BhBC. Tha an com-pàirteachas seo air mòran a choileanadh ann an ùine ghoirid agus tha seo air beairteas a thoirt do shuidheachadh craolaidh na h-Alba. Tha gnìomhan MG Alba air taic a thoirt don eaconamaidh cuideachd le barrachd air £9 millean air a thoirt seachad do chompanaidhean ionadail airson riochdachadh phrògraman.
Ann an raon an fhoghlaim, tha an àireamh de sgoilearan a’ tòiseachadh sa bhun-sgoil air fàs bho 386 ann an 2007 gu 556 ann an 2014. Le taic bhon mhaoin chalpa airson sgoiltean Ghàidhlig chunnaic sinn foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig air a sgaoileadh air feadh Alba, le iomadh sgoil agus aonad Gàidhlig air fhosgladh neo air a leudachadh, nam measg Obar Pheallaidh, Bogh Mòr, Comar nan Allt, Dùn Èideann, Glaschu, An Gearasdan, Gleann Urchadain, Inbhir Nis, Irbhinn, Cille Mheàrnaig, an t-Òban agus Port Rìgh. Tha foghlam air leth cudthromach don chànan san àm ri teachd. Às a leth, chan fhaic sinn a-chaoidh na h-àireamhan airson seasmhachd a thoirt don Ghàidhlig.
Bha ball no dhà a’ togail phuingean mu dheidhinn Bile an Fhoghlaim (Alba) a tha a’ dol tron Phàrlamaid an-dràsta, agus tha mi uamhasach deònach coinneachadh ris na buill sin mu dheidhinn nam puingean a th’ aca. Tha mi gu math deònach èisteachd ri duine sam bith a tha ag iarraidh am bile sin a leasachadh.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
It is a pleasure for me that the Scottish Parliament has recognised the anniversary of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which was important for the Gaelic language and for Scotland. I congratulate Angus MacDonald on leading the debate and I am glad that progress is being made on the language in Falkirk. I have listened intently to the comments made by all those who have contributed to this interesting debate.
I am pleased to see that Gaelic continues to have cross-party support in the chamber. As Angus MacDonald said, the Labour-Lib Dem Government took the 2005 act through Parliament and Mary Scanlon was correct to say that growth in Gaelic broadcasting and TV began under the auspices of a Tory Government. We should continue to work together to ensure a bright and sustainable future for the language.
Our minority and indigenous languages are important to us. I am thinking about Scots, which members were correct to talk about. I am sure that many members of the public do not realise that 10 indigenous languages are spoken today in the British isles and believe that we are a nation of monoglots. That is far from the case: people the length and breadth of these islands are using indigenous languages other than English to communicate with friends, family, teachers, colleagues and public services. The fact that they are in the minority does not mean that they do not exist.
The good news is that it is difficult for people in Scotland to ignore our languages. They are all around us, and at some stage every Scot will have to notice them. They are in our song, our poetry, our history, our place names and our politics. In fact, I suspect that, in what is supposed to be an increasingly monoglot 21st century, there are actually more opportunities than ever before to see, hear and read about our languages in Scotland. Our languages are an undeniable element of our heritage, and it is right that they should be seen and heard.
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 has been important for Gaelic for a number of reasons. First, the legislation gave us an important statement of equal respect with the English language, and that should not be forgotten. It made Gaelic a national language of Scotland, and it made an important statement about the past and future identity of our country.
The legislation also gave us the first statutory body with the function of supporting and developing the Gaelic language: Bòrd na Gàidhlig. The legislation gave Bòrd na Gàidhlig powers and duties to ask public bodies to prepare Gaelic language plans, and it was equally important in helping Scottish public life focus on how to support the language.
Jean Urquhart spoke about the negativity in some quarters. Gaelic language plans have been important in getting us to where we are today. Without those plans we would not have seen the same level of awareness of the language, nor would we have seen the level of operations and services through the medium of Gaelic that those public bodies provide. In the case of local authorities’ plans, we would not have seen such progress in supporting the development and growth of Gaelic education at all levels.
There has been a great deal of progress in the support for Gaelic in recent years from the arts, broadcasting, culture and education. In media and broadcasting, we have seen good Gaelic broadcasts. We have seen the success of MG Alba, working in partnership with the BBC. The partnership has achieved much in a short time and has enriched the broadcasting landscape in Scotland. The activities of BBC Alba have helped to support the economy, with more than £9 million going directly to the local companies that are involved in the production of programming.
In education, we have seen good growth in the number of pupils entering primary 1, from 386 in 2007 to 556 in 2014. As a result of support from the Gaelic schools capital fund, we have witnessed the expansion of Gaelic-medium education across Scotland as Gaelic schools and units open or expand, including those at Aberfeldy, Bowmore, Cumbernauld, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fort William, Glenurquhart, Inverness, Irvine, Kilmarnock, Oban and Portree. Education is key to the future of the language—without it, we will not see the numbers coming through to legitimately secure the future of Gaelic.
I will mention one or two of the points that members raised regarding the Education (Scotland) Bill that is going through Parliament. I am very happy to meet those members to discuss the points that they made, and I am willing to listen to any points made about the bill and its development.
I am a member of the Education and Culture Committee, and I would welcome it if the minister would explain why an entitlement to Gaelic education that was promised in the SNP manifesto has now become an explanation of the administrative process that is used for a parental request for Gaelic.
The process is important. Over many years, there has been a question about how parents pursue the matter if the community perhaps wants to see a Gaelic unit, but the local authority does not. It is a step forward that we have a bill that establishes a process, and evidence—in many cases, I think that the evidence would be incontrovertible—of the demand that exists for Gaelic-medium education in the community.
As I mentioned, I am more than happy to meet the member to talk about any idea that she may have for improvements to the bill.
Tha sinn mothachail gu bheil duilgheadasan ann agus gu bheil mòran ri dhèanamh gus seasmhachd a thoirt don Ghàidhlig san àm ri teachd. Mar a bha Mìcheal Russell ag ràdh, chan eil e math gu leòr gu bheil a’ Ghàidhlig ann, feumaidh a’ Ghàidhlig a bhith air a cleachdadh. Feumaidh siostam foghlaim sam bith luchd-teagaisg agus goireasan cho math ’s a ghabhas airson gun soirbhich leis. Tha sinn ro mhothachail gu bheil feum againn air barrachd luchd-teagaisg ann am foghlam Gàidhlig. Tha seo fhathast na dhùbhlan romhainn mus tig leudachadh, agus ann an cuid de dh’àiteachan airson an suidheachadh a ghlèidheadh mar a tha e an-dràsta.
Tha e riatanach gum faigh neach sam bith a tha airson teagasg ann am foghlam Gàidhlig cothrom na fèinne seo a dhèanamh agus mar sin feumaidh sinn na slighean trèanaidh a leudachadh. ’S ann air an adhbhar seo a tha dealas againn cumail oirnn ag obrachadh cuide ri Bòrd na Gàidhlig, oilthighean, ùghdarrasan ionadail agus buidhnean eile gus taic agus goireasan a thoirt do chothroman teagaisg aig gach ìre, airson na feuman uile a choileanadh.
Feumaidh sinn cuideachd obrachadh cuide ri coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig air feadh Alba, a’ dèanamh cinnteach gum bi a’ Ghàidhlig air a cleachdadh ann am beatha làitheil. Chunnaic mi nam choimhearsnachd fhèin luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig nach bruidhneadh sa Ghàidhlig ri clann a tha ag ionnsachadh a’ chànan. Tha e cudthromach gum faigh sinn a-mach carson a tha seo a’ tachairt.
Chithear Gàidhlig an-diugh sa h-uile àite, bho fhoghlam Gàidhlig nar sgoiltean agus soidhnichean ann an stèiseanan-rèile, gu na duaisean brìgheil aig FilmG. Tha gnìomhachas soirbheachail againn a-nis sna meadhanan Gàidhlig.
Airson luchd-labhairt òg na Gàidhlig,’s e saoghal eadar-dhealaichte a th’ ann. Ged a tha dùbhlain fhathast romhainn, tha sinn air tòrr a dhèanamh sna deich bliadhna a dh’fhalbh, agus leanaidh seo sna bliadhnaichean ri tighinn. Tha tòrr ann ri dhèanamh airson na Gàidhlig, mar a thuirt tòrr dhaoine, ach tha cothrom ann an-diugh airson meal a naidheachd a chur air a h-uile duine a bha a’ strì agus a tha fhathast a’ strì airson a’ chànain againn. Tapadh leibh.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation.
We are aware that there are difficulties, and that there is much still to be done to secure the future of Gaelic. As Mike Russell said, it is not good enough that Gaelic is still here—it must be used. In any education system, there must be the best teaching staff and resources in order to help it to succeed. We are all too aware of the necessity to grow teacher numbers in Gaelic education. That remains a hurdle to expansion and, in some cases, to the status quo.
It is essential that those who want to teach in Gaelic education are afforded the opportunities to do so. Therefore, we must increase the routes into training. We are committed to continuing our work with the board, universities, local authorities and others to ensure that opportunities into education, at all levels, are supported and resourced to meet the needs of all those involved.
We need to work with Gaelic communities across Scotland to ensure that the language is used in everyday life. I have witnessed in my own community Gaelic speakers refusing to speak in Gaelic to children who are learning the language. We must work at getting to the root of why that happens.
We can celebrate Gaelic everywhere, from increasing the learning of Gaelic in schools and signage in railway stations to the vibrant FilmG awards. We have a thriving Gaelic media industry. For young Gaelic speakers, it is a different world.
Gaelic has its challenges, but we have moved on in the past 10 years. As members have said, there is a lot still to be done, but the debate is an opportunity to congratulate everyone who has striven for the success of the language.
Meeting closed at 17:52.Previous
Decision Time