The Scottish Government

This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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Draft Gaelic Bill unveiled at 100th Mod

10/10/2003

Fhuair a' Ghàidhlig deagh bhrosnachadh an-diugh an uair a dhaingnich Ministearan na h-Alba an gealltanas reachdas a chur air chois gus inbhe a' chànain a dhèanamh tèarainte ann an Alba.

A' bruidhinn aig a' 100mh Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail san Òban, chuir Prìomh Mhinistear Jack McConnell agus Ministear an Fhoghlaim agus an Òigridh Peadair Peacock an dreachd Bhile Gàidhlig air bhog agus dhearbh iad gum biodh am Bile a' dol air beulaibh na Pàrlamaid as t-samhradh sa tighinn.

A' cur an dreachd Bhile air bhog, thuirt Mgr McConnell:

"Sa Chèitean am bliadhna, dhearbh Ministearan na h-Alba gun robh iad airson reachdas a thoirt a-steach gus inbhe na Gàidhlig a dhèanamh tèarainte ann an Alba. Tha e na thoileachas dhomh a bhith a' coilionadh a' ghealltanais sin agus a bhith a' foillseachadh Bile a bhios, airson a' chiad uair, a' toirt inbhe reachdail dhan Ghàidhlig ann an Alba. 'S e an-diugh toiseach tòiseachaidh an 100mh Mòd. 'S e latha eachdraidheil a tha ann dhan Ghàidhlig ann am barrachd air aon dòigh.

"Tha molaidhean a' Bhile a' togail air an taic leantainneach a tha sinn a' toirt do fhoghlam Gàidhlig, do chultar agus do chraoladh, agus thèid e astar mòr ann a bhith a' cur stad air crìonadh a' chànain.

"Tha sinn airson gum bi inbhe thèarainte aig a' Ghàidhlig mar phàirt beothail de bheatha na h-Alba, gus an cànan a bhith air adhartachadh mar chànan a thathar a' cleachdadh gu nàdarra gach latha agus gus tuigse nas fheàrr a thoirt air an àite 's an luach a tha aige ann an cultar na h-Alba.

"Tha mi dhan bheachd gu bheil e cudromach do dh'Alba air fad a bhith a' cur na Gàidhlig air stèidh thèarainte. Tha e a' toirt dhuinn ceangal ris na làithean a dh'fhalbh agus a' dearbhadh gu bheil iomadachd agus còirichean nan mion choimhearsnachdan air an luachadh 's air an dìon airson na h-àm ri teachd."

'S e prìomh chumhachan an dreachd Bhile:

• Gum bi a' Ghàidhlig air a h-aithneachadh ann an reachdas mar chànan Albannach
• Gum bi buidheann leasachaidh na Gàidhlig, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, air a stèidheachadh air bhunait reachdail gus cleachdadh agus tuigse den Ghàidhlig adhartachadh
• Gum bi riatanas air a chur air Bòrd na Gàidhlig a bhith ag ullachadh Plana-cànain Nàiseanta Gàidhlig airson aonta Mhinistearan na h-Alba
• Gum bi riatanas air a chur air buidhnean poblach an Alba a bhith a' beachdachadh mun fheum air Plana-cànain Gàidhlig an co-cheangal ri na seirbheisean a tha iad a' tabhann

Thuirt Mgr Peacock:

"'S e ar n-amas gum bi na làithean ri teachd seasmhach don Ghàidhlig an Alba agus gun dèan sinn cinnteach gum bi an cànan a' mairsinn beò agus a' fàs. Cha tèid seo a choileanadh le reachdas a-mhàin, ach nì e cuideachadh mòr.

"Feumaidh sinn a bhith a' faicinn na Gàidhlig air a cumail a' dol ann an teaghlaichean, air a h-adhartachadh le sgoiltean, agus air a cleachdadh gu mòr sna coimhearsnachdan agus air a meas luachmhor le luchd-ionnsachaidh. Cuidichidh am Bile le bhith a' cruthachadh an t-suidheachaidh agus a' mhisneachd a nì seo comasach."

Thuirt Cathraiche Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnaG) Donnchadh MacFhearghais:

"Tha Bòrd na Gàidhlig a' cur fàilte air foillseachadh an dreachd Bhile Gàidhlig. 'S e seo toradh fìor mhisneachail an dìchill a rinn mòran dhaoine le ùidh ann an cor a' chànain san àm ri teachd agus is e latha eachdraidheil a tha ann do dh'Alba.

"Tha aithne aig Riaghaltas na h-Alba agus BnaG gu bheil mòran ri dhèanamh gus stad a chur air crìonadh na Gàidhlig. Bidh com-pàirteachais èifeachdach, aig a h-uile ìre, riatanach ann an coileanadh na h-amais seo.

"Bidh Bòrd na Gàidhlig air a neartachadh le inbhe ùr reachdail, cumhachdan agus dleastanasan. Bidh sinn a' misneachadh agus a' cuideachadh le deasbad mun dreachd Bhile rè na h-ùine co-chomhairleachaidh, gus a' cho-aonta as motha fhaighinn sna freagairtean.

"Bidh na dleastanasan ùra air gach buidheann poblach an Alba ann a bhith a' beachdachadh air planaichean Gàidhlig airson an cuid sheirbheisean, còmhla ris na seòlaidhean a dh'fhoillsicheas sinn mu bhith a' cur nan dleastanasan sin an cèill, a' toirt slighe shoilleir ann a bhith a' tabhann barrachd chothroman a thaobh a bhith a' cleachdadh na Gàidhlig ann an suidheachaidhean làitheil.

"Bidh am Bòrd cuideachd a' cumail a' deasbad mu mhòr-mhiannan na coimhearsnachd Ghàidhlig le Riaghaltas na h-Alba, agus bidh sinn ag amas air an taic as èifeachdaiche fhaighinn don Ghàidhlig tron Bhile seo."

Thug Riaghaltas na h-Alba làn ghealltanas anns an Partnership Agreement for a BetterScotland inbhe na Gàidhlig a dhèanamh tèarainte.

Tha an ùine co-chomhairleachaidh a' dùnadh air Faoilleach 9, 2004.

Tha taic Riaghaltais na h-Alba don Ghàidhlig gu sònraichte air trì prìomh raointean:

1. foghlam
2. buidhnean cultarail
3. craoladh

Tha Gàidhlig aig gach ìre de fhoghlam: fo aois sgoile, bun-sgoil, àrdsgoil, foghlam adhartach agus àrd-ìre agus mar phàirt de thrèanadh luchd-teagaisg. Thòisich tabhartasan sònraichte airson foghlamGàidhlig ann an 1986 agus thamaoineachadh bliadhnail air a dhol suas on àm sin bho £250,000 gu £2.834 millean ann an 2002-03.

Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba cuideachd a' toirt taic do fhoghlam Gàidhlig fo aois sgoile, trèanadh luchd-teagaisg, trèanadh luchd-teagaisg àrdsgoile le Gàidhlig, Stòrlann Nàiseanta airson stuthan teagaisg Gàidhlig agus airson na colaiste Ghàidhlig, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig san Eilean Sgitheanach.

English version

A draft Gaelic Language Bill was published today, fulfilling a commitment by Scottish Ministers to legislate to secure the status of the language in Scotland.

Speaking at the 100 ^th Royal National Mod in Oban, First Minister Jack McConnell and Minister for Education and Young People Peter Peacock confirmed that the Bill was to be introduced to Parliament next summer.

Mr McConnell said:

"In May of this year, Scottish Ministers confirmed that they wanted to legislate to secure the status of Gaelic in Scotland. I am delighted to deliver on that promise and to publish a Bill which will, for the first time, provide legal status for the language in Scotland. Today is the start of the 100 ^th Mod. It is now an historic day for Gaelic in more ways than one.

"The Bill proposals build on our continued support for Gaelic education, culture and broadcasting, and will go a long way to stemming the decline in the use of the language.

"We want to secure the place of Gaelic as a living part of Scottish life, to promote the language's everyday use and increase the appreciation of its place and value in Scottish culture.

"I believe that securing Gaelic is important for all of Scotland. It gives us a link with our past and demonstrates that diversity and the rights of minority communities will be valued and protected for the future."

The key provisions of the Bill are:

• Recognising in legislation Gaelic as a language of Scotland
• Establishing the Gaelic development body, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, on a statutory basis to promote the use and understanding of Gaelic
• Requiring Bòrd na Gàidhlig to prepare a National Gaelic Language Plan for approval by Scottish Ministers
• Requiring public bodies in Scotland to consider the need for a Gaelic language plan in relation to the services they offer

Mr Peacock said:

"Our aim is to create a sustainable future for Gaelic in Scotland and ensure that the language can survive and thrive. Legislation alone cannot achieve this, but it can make a significant contribution.

"We need to see the Gaelic language passed on within families, promoted by schools, widely used in communities and valued by learners. This Bill can help create the context and the confidence to make this possible."

Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnaG) Chairman Duncan Ferguson said:

"Bòrd na Gàidhlig warmly welcomes the publication of the draft Gaelic Language Bill. This is a most encouraging outcome of much hard work by many people committed to the future of the language and is a historic day for Scotland.

"The Scottish Executive and BnaG recognise that a great deal requires to be done to reverse the decline of Gaelic. Effective partnerships, at all levels, will be critical in the achievement of this objective.

"Bòrd na Gàidhlig will be strengthened by its new statutory status, powers and duties. We will be encouraging and facilitating discussion on the draft Bill during the consultation period, seeking the widest possible positive consensus in the response.

"The new duties on all public bodies in Scotland to consider Gaelic Language Plans for their services, when taken together with the guidelines on how to exercise those duties we will issue, gives a very clear route to providing more opportunities to use Gaelic in everyday situations.

"The Bòrd will also continue to discuss the Gaelic community's aspirations with the Scottish Executive, and we will aim to achieve the most effective support for Gaelic through this Bill."

The consultation period closes on January 9, 2004.

Executive support for Gaelic centres on three main areas:

1. education
2. cultural organisations
3. broadcasting

Gaelic features at all levels of education: pre-school, primary, secondary, further and higher education and as part of teacher training. Specific grants for Gaelic education were introduced in 1986 and annual funding has since increased from £250,000 to £2.834 million in 2002-03. The Scottish Executive also supports Gaelic pre-school education, teacher training, the training of Gaelic-speaking secondary teachers, a National Resource Centre for Gaelic teaching materials and for the Gaelic college, Sabhal Mor Ostaig in Skye.