Dr. John Walsh believes that the State's strategy for the revival of the Irish
language is fundamentally misguided. The sociolinguist from the National University
of Ireland, Galway claims that nowadays Irish language organisations whose funding
has been decreased are very silent.
The State has gradually distanced itself from any involvement in the preservation
of the Gaeltacht, as seen by the function of Udarás na Gaeltachta in language
planning. Volunteer community committees and groups, the majority of whom lack
technical knowledge, are assigned the responsibility.
The State has removed Foras na Gaeilge and Udarás na Gaeltachta from the Irish
language planning process. According to Dr. Patrick Walsh, the decision is a product
of the neoliberal mentality that has recently become prevalent in politics.
A scaled-down version of social partnership, the Foras na Gaeilge funding scheme
does not have the same standing or power to influence governmental decisions as
the actual social partnership. It appears as just another illustration of how the
nonprofit sector is being ruined.
Similar to the social partnership, the Irish and Gaeltacht sectors' frameworks
lessen the likelihood that citizens will be engaged, radical, and critical. Dr. John
Walsh is one of the speakers today at a workshop in Cardiff on language
revitalization and social change.