Sir, – A deep-water fish farm providing employment for up to 500 is planned by Bord Iascaigh Mhara for an area close to Inis Oírr, one of the last remaining Irish-speaking communities.
Concern has been expressed about the effects of such a large-scale project on the culture and language of Inis Oírr and the neighbouring Gaeltacht communities.
The population over three years of age of Inis Oírr in 2011 was 238 persons. About 83 per cent use Irish as their everyday language.
Ó Giollagáin and Mac Donncha in their study of the position of Irish in the Gaeltacht drew attention to a linguistic tipping point in communities. When the percentage of a population who use Irish as their everyday language falls below 67 per cent, the balance is tipped against Irish and use of the language declines rapidly.
At least 65 persons are expected to work directly on the farm. An influx of that size of non-Irish speakers would bring the percentage using Irish on the island below the 67 per cent linguistic tipping point.
Udarás na Gaeltachta has specific responsibility for language planning in the Gaeltacht. Asked by Eamon Ó Cuív, at a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Sub-Committee on Fisheries, if Udarás had “carried out any analysis of the impact 500 jobs would have on the language”, the chief executive replied, “If 500 jobs come into the area and if they are available in the Gaeltacht we will expect that the people of the Gaeltacht will get most of the jobs”.
The only chance that the small Gaeltacht community of Inis Oírr could survive such a large influx would be a determination by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Udarás na Gaeltachta and the community, backed by the Government and all its relevant agencies, that the default language of the entire project including administration and management would be Irish. But unfortunately, the “Ah, sure it will be all right on the day” school of language planning prevails.
MAOLSHEACHLAINN Ó CAOLLAÍ,
Baile Átha Cliath 14.