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Funding to support Gaelic
12/09/2008
Gaelic version
Gaelic development body Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnG) is to use £150,000 of its Scottish Government funding as a Challenge Fund to support projects promoting the use of Gaelic in communities.
The Challenge Fund supports the Scottish Government's priorities for preservation and promotion of the language, set out in the National Plan for Gaelic.
Speaking at the first national Gaelic in the Community conference in Breasclete, Lewis, Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said:
"This funding will enable BnG to take forward new projects that are central to strengthening Gaelic in the community. I am delighted at this focus on a community-based approach to preserving and extending the language.
"Gaelic is a national language. We must recognise it on that basis and support it across all our communities, from areas where it is well established, to others where it is growing - such as parts of urban Scotland.
"The Scottish Government is committed to securing a sustainable and successful future for Gaelic in Scotland and the release of this funding to Bòrd na Gàidhlig is yet another step towards achieving that goal."
BnG Interim Chairman Arthur Cormack said:
"Bòrd na Gàidhlig is happy to have partnered with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in organising this conference and we hope that we will begin to get a steer from the day as to the interventions necessary to ensure Gaelic's continued and increased use in different kinds of communities across Scotland.
"Although we still have 'traditional' Gaelic communities, where a majority of people speak Gaelic, there are an increasing number of smaller communities within urban areas where Gaelic is used regularly. We need to look at ways of supporting all kinds of Gaelic communities but perhaps look at special measures in the traditional Gaelic-speaking communities.
"We welcome the start of this conversation, the Minister's involvement in that and the continuing support of the Scottish Government in assisting us to promote Gaelic and extend its reach and influence.
"The release of funds from the Scottish Government is, of course, very welcome and will enable us to deliver more of the measures in the National Plan for Gaelic."
The Gaelic in the Community conference at Breasclete in Lewis has been organised by BnG and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The conference's main aim is to discuss the key steps required to strengthen Gaelic in communities where it has a high profile, and across Scotland as a whole.
At the conference, Ms Fabiani will ask delegates for their views on what works for Gaelic, and task BnG to consider these views and build them into future strategies.
Gaelic is an integral part of Scotland's cultural identity and the Scottish Government is committed to building a sustainable and successful future for the language. The Scottish Government continues to pursue initiatives which raise the status of Gaelic, ensure Gaelic learning is valued and create opportunities for its use in a wide range of contexts.
A key commitment of the Scottish Government is to increase the place of Gaelic in education, to improve the status of the Gaelic language throughout Scotland and to support Gaelic speaking communities.
The National Plan for Gaelic contains a list of priority areas and captures many Scottish Government pre-election commitments on Gaelic including a focus on areas such as the home, community, education, economic development, identity, education and the arts.
The Scottish Government gave a cash boost of £24.5million to Gaelic for 2008/09 - allocated from Spending Review 07 - included £1million to BnG.
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 sets out three main aims for Bòrd na Gàidhlig:
- To increase the number of persons who are able to use and understand the Gaelic language
- To encourage the use and understanding of the Gaelic language
- To facilitate access, in Scotland and elsewhere, to the Gaelic language and Gaelic culture
TAIC DO GHÀIDHLIG SA CHOIMHEARSNACHD
Tha Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnG), am buidheann leasachaidh Gàidhlig, a' dol a chleachdadh £150,000 den mhaoineachadh a tha a' tighinn bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba mar Mhaoin Dùbhlain airson taic do phròiseactan a tha ag adhartachadh cleachdadh na Gàidhlig ann an coimhearsnachdan.
Foillsichidh Linda Fabiani, Ministear a' Chultair, seo an-diugh, na h-òraid ris a' chiad cho-labhairt nàiseanta air Gàidhlig sa Choimhearsnachd, ann am Breascleit, an Leòdhas.
Tha a' Mhaoin Dùbhlain a' toirt taic do phrìomhachasan Riaghaltas na h-Alba airson gleidheadh agus adhartachadh a' chànain, air a mhìneachadh ann am Plana Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig.
Thuirt Ms Fabiani:
"Bheir am maoineachadh seo cothrom do BnG pròiseactan ùra a thoirt air adhart a tha nam pàirt cudromach de neartachadh Gàidhlig sa choimhearsnachd. Tha mi toilichte gu bheilear a' cur cudrom air dòigh-obrach stèidhichte sa choimhearsnachd airson a' chànan a ghleidheadh agus a leudachadh.
"'S e cànan nàiseanta a tha sa Ghàidhlig. Feumaidh sinn àite a thoirt dhi air an stèidh sin agus taic a thoirt dhi nar coimhearsnachdan uile, bho sgìrean sa bheil i làidir, gu feadhainn eile far a bheil i a' fàs - mar earrannan de bhailtean na h-Alba.
"Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba airson gum bi a' Ghàidhlig beò agus soirbheachail an Alba sna bliadhnachan ri teachd agus tha am maoineachadh seo do Bhòrd na Gàidhlig na cheum eile a dh'ionnsaigh coileanadh an amais sin."
Thuirt Art MacCarmaig, Cathraiche Eadar-amail BnG:
"Bha sinn aig Bòrd na Gàidhlig toilichte co-obrachadh le Comhairle nan Eilean Siar a' cur na co-labhairt seo air dòigh agus tha sinn an dòchas gun toir an latha beagan stiùiridh dhuinn mun eadar-theachd a dh'fheumar a dhèanamh gus dèanamh cinnteach gun cumar a' cleachdadh na Gàidhlig ann an diofar seòrsa coimhearsnachdan air feadh Alba.
"Ged a tha coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig 'traidiseanta' againn fhathast, far a bheil Gàidhlig aig a' chuid as motha, tha barrachd is barrachd choimhearsnachdan nas lugha ann am bailtean far a bheilear a' cleachdadh na Gàidhlig gu cunbhalach. Feumaidh sinn coimhead ri dòighean air taic a thoirt don h-uile seòrsa coimhearsnachd Ghàidhlig ach 's dòcha cuideachd coimhead ri ceuman sònraichte anns na coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig traidiseanta.
"Tha sinn a' cur fàilte air a' cho-labhairt seo, air a' phàirt a tha aig a' Mhinistear innte agus air taic leantainneach bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba airson ar cuideachadh ag adhartachadh na Gàidhlig agus a' leudachadh a comas agus a buaidh.
"Tha sinn air leth toilichte leis a' mhaoineachadh a fhuair sinn bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba, agus bheir e cothrom dhuinn tuilleadh de na ceuman ann am Plana Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig a lìbhrigeadh."
Chaidh co-labhairt Gàidhlig sa Choimhearsnachd am Breascleit an Leòdhas a chur air dòigh le BnG agus Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. 'S e prìomh amas na co-labhairt beachdachadh air na prìomh cheuman a dh'fheumar airson Gàidhlig sa choimhearsnachdan a neartachadh far a bheil ìomhaigh fhollaiseach aice, agus air feadh Alba gu lèir .
Aig a' cho-labhairt, iarraidh Ms Fabiani beachdan nan riochdairean air dè tha ag obair airson na Gàidhlig, agus iarraidh i air BnG coimhead ri na beachdan sin agus an cur ri ro-innleachdan ri teachd.
Tha a' Ghàidhlig na pàirt bunaiteach de dhearbh-aithne chultarail na h-Alba agus tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba airson cur ri seasmhachd agus soirbheas a' chànain san àm ri teachd. Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba a' leantainn air iomairtean a tha ag àrdachadh inbhe na Gàidhlig, a' dèanamh cinnteach gum bi meas air ionnsachadh Gàidhlig agus a' cruthachadh chothroman airson a cleachdadh ann an iomadh suidheachadh.
Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba gu h-àraidh airson àite na Gàidhlig ann am foghlam a mheudachadh, inbhe na Gàidhlig a leasachadh air feadh Alba agus taic a thoirt do choimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig.
Tha liosta de cheàrnaidhean le prìomhachas ann am Plana Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig agus mòran de ghealltanasan ro-thaghaidh Riaghaltas na h-Alba mun Ghàidhlig a' gabhail a-steach cudrom air roinnean mar an dachaigh, a' choimhearsnachd, foghlam, leasachadh eaconamach, dearbh-aithne, foghlam agus na h-ealain.
Thug Riaghaltas na h-Alba taic-airgid £24.5millean do Ghàidhlig airson 2008/09 - air a riarachadh bho Sgrùdadh air Cosg 07 - anns an robh £1millean do BnG.
Tha Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 a' comharrachadh trì prìomh amasan airson Bòrd na Gàidhlig:
- meudachadh air an àireamh de dhaoine a tha comasach air a' Ghàidhlig a chleachdadh agus a thuigsinn;
- misneachadh cleachdadh agus tuigse na Gàidhlig; agus
- cuideachadh le cothrom, an Alba agus an dùthchannan eile, air a' Ghàidhlig agus a cultar.