‘It wasn’t about putting Irish language signs down the Shankill’ –labhraíonn Bertie Ahern amach faoi cheist an Achta Gaeilge

Labhair an t-iarThaoiseach Bertie Ahern ar maidin faoi cheist an Achta Gaeilge ó thuaidh agus dúirt gurb í a thuiscint féin nach raibh aon aontú ródhocht riamh ann faoin gceist.

Ag labhairt dó inniu ar an gclár raidió de chuid an BBC The Nolan Show, dúirt Ahern go raibh sé i gceist i gcónaí ó aimsir na gcainteanna faoi Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta go mbeadh ról lárnach ag ceist na Gaeilge i mbuanú na síochána ó thuaidh.

Mhaígh sé, áfach, nár thángthas  ar aontú docht faoin ról sin i 1998 ná sna comhaontuithe ina dhiaidh sin.

“In 1998 there was an understanding that we would move on and the Irish language would play a key role but we never anywhere prescriptively wrote out in 1998 what that was going to be, and I don’t think it happened in any of the subsequent agreements either.

“That’s why I think they’ve spent a lot of this year talking about it,” a dúirt Ahern.

Dúirt Ahern go raibh “díospóireacht” aige féin le David Trimble, iarcheannaire an UUP, faoi chúrsaí féiniúlachta le linn na gcainteanna síochána agus gur aontaigh sé gur chóir tacú leis an Ultais fad is go dtacófaí chomh maith le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge.

“It wasn’t really about that we would start putting Irish language signs down the Shankill… All these things don’t have to be railed through as they were written,” a dúirt an t-iarThaoiseach ar The Nolan Show ar maidin.

Ag tagairt dó don bhaint atá ag ceist na Gaeilge leis an tsáinn pholaitiúil is déanaí ó thuaidh, dúirt Ahern go gcaithfí ‘féachaint chun tosaigh seachas féachaint siar’.

“Of course the Irish language should be treated with equality, and Ulster Scots too, if that is important to the unionist people, which it was to some of them back twenty years ago

“I think really we have to go forward, if we keep going back, saying this is what happened, the same with the legacy of the past, of course these are important things, but people have to look forward not going backwards.”

Tá ceist an Achta Gaeilge luaite go sonrach in iarscríbhinn B de Chomhaontú Chill Rímhinn 2006, a deir:

• The Government will introduce an Irish Language Act reflecting on the experience of Wales and Ireland and work with the incoming Executive to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language. 
• The Government firmly believes in the need to enhance and develop the  Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture and will support the incoming Executive in taking this forward.

Glactar leis gurb é an ‘Government’ atá i gceist sa gheallúint sin ná rialtas na Breataine, a bhí faoi cheannas Tony Blair ag an am. Bhí an DUP diongbháilte ón tús nár ghlac siad leis an bhforáil sin i gComhaontú Chill Rímhinn 2006, ina ngealltar Acht na Gaeilge agus tá ceist an Achta ar an dris chosáin is mó roimh athbhunú Fheidhmeannas Stormont.