Derry missing out on Belfast-centric Irish language jobs

A local Gaeilgeoir has described job creation in the North’s Irish language sector as “completely Belfast-centric at the expense of Derry”.

Teacher and musician Seán Mac Cearáin said this attitude was contributing to the historically “abysmal” record of wider job creation in the city.

Mr Mac Cearáin, who is standing as an Aontú candidate in the Foyleside DEA in May’s local government elections, said: “I have voiced my dissatisfaction about the lack of jobs in the Irish language sector coming to Derry, on many occasions. 

“However, we also have to acknowledge there have been two nationalist parties, the SDLP and Sinn Féin, in power here for nearly 40 years and in that time, wider job creation has been abysmal. You would have thought both of those parties would have been pushing job creation here at Assembly and Westminster level.

“I recently made a comment on social media regarding job creation in the Irish language sector in Derry to draw attention to the ongoing situation. A lot has been said and pushed through about the Irish language but there is Belfast-centric control there as well. 

“I know there is a cultúrlann in Derry but in Belfast you have Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich; a radio station, Raidió Fáilte; and you have Áras na bhFál, which houses a number of Irish language organisations. Iontaobhas Ultach and Ciste Infheistíochta Gaeilge are run from Belfast, as is Altram, although it does have a Derry presence.

“Most of the full-time Irish language jobs are in Belfast. Now Belfast may seem like a short commute from Derry but that is not the point. The principle here is that none of those Irish language jobs are coming to Derry,” said Mr Mac Cearáin.

Seán Mac Cearáin said he would have thought Derry’s two Deputy First Ministers, Mark Durkan (SDLP) and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) would have pushed for some of the Irish language jobs to be brought to Derry. 

He added: “There is absolutely no reason why they should be situated in Belfast, none at all. This is another example of how Derry is being pushed backwards by the Belfast-centric politicians, particularly in terms of the language. 

“On many occasions I have seen a job or two coming up and you think, ‘That’s perfect’ but you inevitably find out the organisation is based in Belfast, and you just put it down. This imbalance needs to be highlighted more, which is why I made the comments.”

Seán Mac Cearáin said he also had an issue with Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta, also headquartered in Belfast, regarding its lack of forward planning. 

He said: “Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta is the representative body for Irish-language medium education in the North. It has been quite successful, although not as successful as it could be, in opening bunscoileanna [Irish language primary schools] but it has paid no attention whatsoever to forward planning.

“It is now moving into the meanscoilleanna [post primary schools] and, it is my experience, the same thing is happening again. There are schools where trained teachers cannot be recruited. 

“This even applies to the teaching of A’ Level Irish. As a result of meanscoilleanna in County Derry and Belfast, schools which once would have taught A’ Level Irish, particularly the grammar schools in Derry, are now taking a back seat again. 

“As a result, children are coming out of bunscoileanna with good Irish and they are being told to sit at the back of the class in their post primary schools. They are effectively being ignored for three years, up to Year 11 and the beginning of GCSE. By A’ Level, children who picked up Irish at post primary school at age 11 or 12, often have better Irish than children who attended bunscoileanna. There is a big problem there which needs to be addressed,” he said. 

Seán Mac Cearáin said it seemed to him Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta was ignoring the way in which children leaving Bunscoileanna with “reasonable” Irish were being treated.

“I am also talking about An Dream Dearg,” he said. “That organisation which put so much energy into an Irish Language Act, should be putting the same energy into lots of other problems out there but we are not getting the same energy, the same approach. 

“Derry is not getting its slice of the cake when it comes to jobs and that is definitely true when it comes to jobs in the Irish language sector. 

“In addition A’ Level and GCSE Irish have been completely downgraded  because of the success of the bunscoil movement, which is being used as an excuse y post primary schools for not teaching children from bunscoileanna but telling them instead to sit at the back of the class because they would be too advanced for everyone else. 

“That is not right. These are not problems which are insoluble. In fact anyone could do it. Schools just need to employ someone to come in and teach the children who come from bunscoileanna.

“What I find intriguing is, if you insult the Irish language people will come out on the streets in their thousands and thousands will vote for whatever party they think will oppose the DUP and two weeks later, that is their commitment to the Irish language done. A lot of people have said to me, ‘There are no votes in the Irish language’. 

“The success of children who have come through Irish-language medium education at primary school stage should be monitored. It is a problem I think our politicians should address, and certainly something Aontú will address. It is no good just putting children through Irish-language medium education and not knowing the outcome.”