Scots Government Commitments tae Gaelic an Scots an Scots Langages Bill: consultation

Gàidhealtachd

This pairt wull consider whither or no the Gàidhealtachd commitment shuid hae hits heidmaist focus on steidin an hou hit is definit or on Gaelic spikkers whaure'er they bide an hou they are supportit.

The Scots Government's weish is for tae strenthen the leid an support Gaelic spikkers in communities whaure'er they micht be athin Scotland. Oor ettle wull be for tae heeze up the amoont o langage uise, gie mair services throu the medium o Gaelic an for tae extend opportunities. In particular, oor ettle bields the weish for tae see mair virrsome Gaelic leid uissage ithin baith the hame an in communities. Alang wi this is a commitment tae hae focus on hinnerin langage shift in the airts an pairts whaur there significant nummers o spikkers.

Traditionally the Gàidhealtachd is a term uisit for the Heilans an Islands o Scotland. Time wis thit the langage an culture o this region wad hae been maistly Gaelic. Tae noo the term haesna pleyit a pairt in Gaelic policy athin Scotland, the ettle wi this commitment wull be for tae consider whit mair misures kin be taen for tae support an heeze up Gaelic an for tae grow the nummer o bodies thit are spikkin, uisin, an lairnin the leid. The focus o this pairt o the consultation paper wull be the commitment tae splore the makkin o a Gàidhealtachd.

Éire's Gaeltacht

The Ers Gaeltacht areas hae been recognisit fae the nineteen twinties, an thir wis areas thit the Ers leid wis tae the fore an supportit. The recentmaist legislation haes been the Gaeltacht Act o 2012. The Act rejiggit the traditional Ers-spikkin areas in Éire on linguistic gruns insteid o the geographic areas, thit wis the position up intae 2012.

In the Republic o Ireland, this term is mair associatit wi langage support an policy implementation. The Republic o Ireland hae uised a sib term aw throu the last yearhunner, but thon system haes chyngit aw throu thon tim an hit disna gie ae claer or static model thit we kin import tae repone tae the speirin o whit wad be the makkins o a Gàidhealtachd. For tae gar thocht an discussions hou an iver a owerview o their arrangements as they staun the noo are gied ablow.

The Ers leid wis ance spoke aw throu Éire, but noo there but 2% o Éire's population thit bide athin the Gaeltacht, thae areas whaur Ers floorishes as a community leid.

The Gaeltacht Act, 2012, gies the statutory fittin for langage plannin processes. Unner the processes, Gaeltacht communities alang wi communities in Gaeltacht Service Toons, an Ers Leid Netwirks are gien the chance for tae pit thegither an pit in force langage plans at the community level wi ongaun support. Sicna communities syne hae the chance for tae pley a key role in lowpin the baurs thit are afront the Ers leid as seen fae the community level. The Langage Plannin Guidelines gie a fu owerview o the process an whit wey hit operates.

In the langage plannin processes, Údarás na Gaeltachta is in chairge o facillitatin the implementation o the processes in Gaeltacht Langage Plannin Areas an in Gaeltacht Service Toons athin the Gaeltacht, an Foras na Gaelige hae sib responsibilities for the implementation o the processes ootwi the Gaeltacht sae faur as hit relates tae Gaeltacht Service Toons an Ers Leid Netwirks.

Unner the Gaeltacht Act, 2012, the Gaeltacht haes been sinnert intae twinty-sax Gaeltacht Langage Plannin Areas thit hae been gien the opportunity for tae mak an pit in force langage plans at the community level. Gaeltacht Service Toons are toons in or aside Gaeltacht Langage Plannin Areas thit tak a significant role in the delivery o public services, leisure, social, an commercial amenities tae thae areas. Ers Leid Netwirks are thae areas ootwi the Gaeltacht thit hae a basic critical mess o community an state support for the Ers leid.

Gàidhealtachd Discussion

The Heilans an Islands o Scotland hae traditionally an historically been regairdit as the Scottish Gàidhealtachd. Hou an iver, wi respek tae the policy uisage o sicna term, there a differ in thochts an repones. Some o thir hae been pitten ablow an thir micht len a haun in repones tae this consultation.

Some wad haud thit the term Gàidhealtachd is ae area for tae be geographically mairkit oot. They wad tak the ettle o this commitment for tae be for tae strenthen Gaelic in geographical areas whaur hit is spoke bi a significant percent o thaim thit bide there. Haudin thit there thae areas whaur the Gaelic leid haes a scowthier staunnin an thit a gien nummer o langage support initiatives want tae happen athin thir areas.

That said a wheen o interest groups didna tak the cairryin oot o this commitment for a streichtforret job. There wis speirins aboot whit wey this commitment sits alangsides the conceit thit Gaelic is for aw athin Scotland an ocht for tae be a national leid. This wis eikit tae the wirries aboot ongaun support for Gaelic in ither areas, sic as Glesga or Embra, thit wad mibbie be taen as non-Gàidhealtachd. There wis threaps thit this tak wad mibbie be sinnerin, maggle the daelin o grants, an gin a line wis for tae be screivit on a map hit wad be haurd for tae win a greeance on whit wey hits gate wis decidit.

Ithers haud thit the focus maun be on giein a heeze tae thaim thit is lairnin an spikkin the leid, an tae the netwirks an communities thit they belang tae whaure'er they be. Thir chyces are no mutually exclusive an thocht micht be gien tae whit weys aw kin be better supportit. Forby, we maun haud in mind the treisure o on-line digital resoorces thit Gaelic spikkers an lairners hae access tae, an the communities thit cam fae thir.

Gàidhealtachd Options

For the sake o this consultation exercise this pairt wull hae a focus on geographical areas whaur there a heich pairt o Gaelic spikkers an whaur there heich Gaelic activity.

Whaur there a focus on a heich proportion o Gaelic spikkers there a challenge as tae hou tae mak oot sicna area an for tae speir whit percent o the population wad hae tae be Gaelic spikkers for a gien area for tae be taen as Gàidhealtachd. The neist speirin wad be aboot whit Gaelic misures are wantin for tae be securit in sicna area - for ensampul shuid:

• GME be available in aw scuils?
• groups hae a bilingual tak?
• a misure o community support be gien for Gaelic?
• public groups an authorities mak claer commitments tae whit wey they wull ettle at improvin support for Gaelic an provide for Gaelic spikkers athin Gàidhealtachd areas?

There tae speirins aboot whither or no onie additional resoorces kin be pit tae this area an hou this wad be monitort or regulatit. This commitment micht weil tae see questions aboot enterprise activity an hou sectors sic as employment, health, hoosin, transport, connectivity, community maitters, an mair kin support Gaelic in sicna communities. There wull tae be speirins aboot whit this wad haud fae ither Scots Government policy areas.

Apairt fae thir, areas cuid be taen on the basis o a gien level o Gaelic activity. There a threap tae be pit, for ensampul, thit in pairts whaur Gaelic medium education scuils an units are, this sees gien netwirks an communities come aboot whaur there Gaelic activity. Gif recognition wis gien on this basis then thocht wad hae tae be gien tae whitna activities in support o Gaelic ocht tae be locatit, heezit up, an steidit in sicna areas. Athin communities whaur there GME there aften ither Gaelic projecks an activities thit micht include Fèisean an ither Gaelic airts activities, Gaelic adult lairnin opportunities, an the wirk o Gaelic community development officers. Hit is the fack o GME thit aften sees the biggin o ither activities in support o the leid.

Ae option for makkin progress wi this commitment micht be for tae gang ower the Guidance on Gaelic Langage Plans pitten thegither bi Bòrd na Gàidhlig. For ensampul, the Gaelic Langage (Scotland) Act 2005 an eikit Guidance pits forret thit there be a proportionate application o Gaelic plans. There pooers unner the 2005 Act thit regulations kin be makkit thit mak mair provisions for whit thir gien Gaelic Langage Plans maun contain. In ither wirds, commitments ocht tae be stranger whaur there mair Gaelic spikkers. On tap o this, there commitments in the National Plans for Gaelic thit onie gien things ocht for tae happen whaur there a heicher percent o Gaelic spikkers. The policy approach o the National Islands Plan wi hits Island Communities Impact Assessment is here tae relevant, alang wi the potential for tae mak local community Plans.

On-line and Digital

Gaelic on-line activity wull hae tae be taen as a essential pairt o onie tak on hou tae luik at the best weys for tae support Gaelic spikkers. Gaelic on-line activity is a kern o aw gates for tae support Gaelic, whither in toons an cities, or in areas wi laich populations.

Regulation and Enforcement

The question stauns as tae whit requirements in onie Gàidhealtachd area wad be pit in place an monitirt is a important pairt o this commitment. This wis anither theme thit emergit claer in Scots Government's informal consultation wirk, whaurin questions wis speirt aboot the pooers thit Bòrd na Gàidhlig hae for tae monitor an enforce the requirements set oot in a gien Gaelic Langage Plan or in their ain guidance. The question o monitorin an enforcement an whaur this function maun sit owerlaps wi the commitment on the review o the functions o the Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Consultation Speirins

Repones in consultation are socht on the speirin anent splorin the makkin o a Gàidhealtachd.

Dae ye hae thochts on whitna misures maun be pitten in place for tae support Gaelic spikkers in areas wi significant nummers o spikkers?

Dae ye hae thochts on hou sicna areas maun be definit?

Hou wad you balance the commitment for tae pit misures in steid in areas whaur there significant nummers o Gaelic spikkers wi the principal thit Gaelic maun be a national leid for aw o Scotland?

Is there onie mair pynts thit ye wad like for tae mak aboot the commitment for tae splore the makkin o a Gàidhealtachd an the eikit commitments anent Gaelic uiss in faimilies an communities?