Meanwhile In Ireland, Another Form Of Censorship…

The Irish Times carries a report on the protests by various Irish language organisations to the latest moves by the Fine Gael-Labour coalition government to starve even more resources to the Irish-speaking communities of Ireland.

“A NEW funding mechanism being introduced by Foras na Gaeilge has been strongly criticised by the 19 Irish language promotion organisations that receive their core funding from the body.

Foras na Gaeilge, a North/South implementation body set up under the Belfast Agreement, has a role in advising the administrations North and South in matters relating to the Irish language.

It also channels State funding to Irish language organisations throughout the island of Ireland.

Following concerns in recent years over increased administration costs, Foras has been trying to replace the existing grant-in-aid system with one of competitive tendering for funding.

Under the new system all the core funding would cease and the organisations, all of which are not-for-profit, would have to compete on a three-yearly basis for funds to implement schemes planned by Foras.

The affected organisations say this would result in a commercialisation of a sector that is community-based, and that they would not be able to survive without State funding.

Conradh na Gaeilge general secretary Julian de Spáinn said the new approach would ensure that instead of working together, Irish language organisations would now be set in competition against each other.

Mr de Spáinn believes it could result in the destruction of the Irish language movement.”

That surely is the whole point of the coalition government’s policies? Not just the destruction of the Irish language movement but of the Irish language full stop. What the British couldn’t do in Ireland over eight centuries the Fine Gael and Labour parties seem fixed on completing in one five-year term of office…