Several hundred students marched on Fine Gael headquarters at lunchtime today in protest at Enda Kenny’s proposal to make the Irish language optional for the Leaving Certificate.
Demonstrators staged a silent sit-down protest at Dáil Éireann before making their way to the party’s headquarters on Upper Mount Street.
The Fine Gael language strategy, announced earlier this month, will make Irish optional after the Junior Certificate following a period of consultation with stakeholders.
A petition signed by more than 15,000 people opposed to the measure was handed in by Aodhán Ó Déa, Irish language officer with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
Mr Ó Déa said “We are angry about this and we won’t vote for Fine Gael if they continue with this policy.”
“Enda Kenny is not happy to meet with us and we’re telling him that if you’re not happy to meet us Enda, we’re going to come and meet you and that is why we are handing in this petition to Fine Gael headquarters today”, Mr Ó Déa said.
Today’s demonstration is the first stage of a new campaign against the new Fine Gael strategy. Many demonstrators covered their mouths with tape in a symbolic protest against the proposal.
One protester said Mr Kenny’s move was a “lazy solution to a problem that has been brewing for years.”
Acknowledging problems with the current curriculum, TCD student Jen Ní Mhathúna said by getting rid of compulsory Irish, Fine Gael was avoiding the issue.
“It’s a lot easier in the short term to just do away with it and not have to deal with what the difficulties in teaching Irish are.”
“In the long term it is absolutely detrimental to the language and the future of the language", she said.
Another TCD student, Mr Cillian Hanaphy said the move was an attempt to reduce the language’s social status.
"There's no evidence anywhere in the world that says you can restore a language by reducing its social status. It's an absolute cop-out", he insisted.
"The language will die out eventually if this happens because students won't pick it. The curriculum needs to be changed - you can't just get rid of a language", he added.
The Fine Gael leader’s proposal has been criticised by language and Gaeltacht community groups. A number of Fine Gael election candidates have also expressed their disquiet at the plan.
Describing the measure as “a regressive step in the development of the language”, Cllr. Brendan Griffin is the latest Fine Gael election candidate to state his concern.
Mr Kenny’s proposal has caused “great worry, upset and annoyance” to many of his constituents and would have “negative cultural and economic implications on a local and national level”, the Kerry South candidate candidate said.
