17th January 2014
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
The Government are today advertising to recruit new “Irish Language
Commissioner”, a job which carriers a salary of 115-thousand euro a year
The current office holder Seán Ó Cuirreáin announced his intention to step down
late last year saying the State was “neglecting” the language
Commissioner Ó Cuirreáin said it was wrong that people in Gaeltacht areas were
being forced to conduct business in English with many state agencies
when both languages are supposed to be equal.
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht are now seeking
seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified individuals to
be the next “Irish Language Commissioner”
We’ve been speaking with Liadh Ní Riada from Baile Bhuirne in Co Cork,
part of the Muskerry Gaeltacht She is a campaigner for the Irish language, and is also is running
for Sinn Fein in the Ireland South European Elections
Liadh Ní Riada says the fact that the previous commissioner resigned
should be a warning sign for the language
She says Irish IS important in the daily life of thousands of people in Ireland,
and maintains it should be supported
