Labour calls for compulsory Irish exam to be ended

[johnfás]

Hopefully this might be done before I sit it next Autumn

[owenfeehan]

You are correct when you say the motion was referred back, but this was in light of enormous opposition. You spoke in favour, I spoke against, the difference being there were a few speakers in favour, whereas there was a huge list of speakers against. The motion would have been comfortably defeated, and even speakers in favour acknowledged that.

And I don't know what you mean by "the usual Irish-language-types", but such a sneering attitude is beneath you.

So in other words what you are saying is:

- Contrary to your initial statement, it wasn't actually 'roundly defeated' on the floor.

- In fact, the delegates chose to NOT defeat it and instead voted to refer it.

- And that in your opinion, you think it would have been defeated, had it been put to the floor, based upon conversations with some unspecified persons and a declaration by yourself of 'enormous opposition' which I certainly never saw in the room.

I don't disagree there were more people who wanted to speak against it than in favour, but I think we can both agree there's quite a large amount of people who take the Irish language extremely seriously and they tend to be on the 'compulsory' side in these debates. This isn't true of the other side.

But this means absolutely nothing about where the masses stand, which if Darren's polls are correct, seem publicly to be approx. 50/50 divided.

In a Labour Party context, I honest don't know how that split falls, but I can only say I received quite a good bit of positive feedback in favour of the side I spoke on.

[Darren Mac an Phríora]

Owen,

Instead of devoting your entire energy in relation to Irish to being anti-compulsory everything, you should consider pointing out the failures of the Govt. to promote it properly. Instead of saying they are mispending money, say how this money could be better spent.

Having debated with you before on this site, I know that you have a tendency to bring up old arguments that have been proved wrong. So, do you accept that gaelscoileanna don't receive any more money than non-gaelscoileanna ?

[owenfeehan]

Darren,

I'm sorry, but you are actually factually wrong on this one, although you may not realise this.

Please look at this http://www.into.ie/ROI/SchoolAdminis...itationGrants/ and note the contrast in the rate of capitation grants between non-Gaeilscoilenna schools and Gaeilscoileanna.

Schools in which a Board of Management has been established €157.58 per pupil
National schools maintained by the Office of Public Works €63.03 per pupil
Minimum grants to small schools (60 pupils or less) €8,494.80
Minimum grant to small schools maintained by the Office of Public Works €3,397.80
Scoileanna Lán Ghaeilge €167
Minimum Grant to Scoileanna Lán Ghaeilge €10,978.20

I accept the difference amounts to only about 6-7% more, but still, they get more funding, and thus are hardely in a position to complain about the state of buildings viz a viz non-Gaeilscoileanna.

I do believe schools in general should get more funding though. The state of some of them is shocking for a country of our wealth.

I also accept the bulk of funding of schools comes through paying staff salaries which afaik is the same for Gaeilscoileanna and non-Gaeilscoileanna. But your point particularly referred to the state of the buildings, and this is what capitation is meant to maintain.