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Irish language strategy impacted by 'missed deadlines'
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<span class="gmail-modified-date">Updated / Wednesday, 21 Mar 2018 <strong>17:44</strong></span>
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<img class="gmail-changeable" src="https://img.rasset.ie/000f9234-800.jpg" alt="The research says that the Irish language strategy has been impacted by missed deadlines, lengthy delays and poor implementation">
<figcaption class="gmail-gutter">The research says that the Irish language strategy has been impacted by missed deadlines, lengthy delays and poor implementation</figcaption>
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<strong>By <span class="gmail-primary-color">Pat McGrath</span> </strong>
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<p>Western Correspondent</p>
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<p>A new analysis of the State’s 20-year strategy for the Irish language
has found the policy has been impacted by missed deadlines, lengthy
delays and poor implementation.</p>
<p>Research conducted for the TG4 programme '7 Lá', has found that
recommendations under several headings have not been acted upon and
others are not operating as envisaged.</p>
<p>The strategy – <a href="https://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1221/295793-irish_language/" target="_blank">launched in 2010</a> – aimed to increase the number of people speaking Irish over the following two decades.</p>
<figure class="gmail-image"><img alt="" src="https://img.rasset.ie/00040e6d-614.jpg?ratio=1.78">
<figcaption>Former taoiseach Brian Cowen at the launch of the Irish language strategy in 2010</figcaption>
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<p>However, its effectiveness has been questioned by the language planning expert Seosamh MacDonnacha.</p><div id="gmail-player-wrapper-5951203679875140" style="max-height:0px;width:100%;overflow:hidden;margin-top:5px;clear:both" class="gmail-jw-ad-visible"><div style="text-align:center"></div></div>
<p>He found that there have been no meetings of an inter-Departmental
group charged with implementing the strategy since January 2016.</p>
<p>In addition, a unit to oversee the plan was never established in the
Department of the Gaeltacht and there is no sign of a Language Authority
to monitor and promote usage of Irish in all parts of the country.</p>
<p>Mr Mac Donnacha says the lack of direction has serious implications
for the potential of the strategy to maintain Irish as the dominant home
and community language in Gaeltacht areas and to develop it elsewhere.</p>
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<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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