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Joe McHugh Photocall Ireland/Maxwells

A lot of people think Enda was wrong to make this guy Gaeltacht Minister

But he doesn’t “take it personally.”

Update: 6.07 pm

MOST OF US believe Taoiseach Enda Kenny made a mistake in appointing Joe McHugh as the Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht.

That’s the finding of a poll published today by Tuairisc.ie, a new Irish-language news service.

Some 61% of those polled said Kenny was “wrong” to make the Donegal TD Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs back in July.

That feeling was strongest among those in Munster, according to the survey, which was conducted by Millward Brown.

The poll also found that 62% believe the State doesn’t do enough to promote the Irish language, with dissatisfaction highest among those aged over 55, and living in Munster, Connacht and Ulster.

A spokesperson for McHugh told TheJournal.ie he “does not take the poll findings personally.”

Since his appointment, the Minister of State has taken a number of decisions to support various initiatives that promote the Irish language.

The Fine Gael TD was pleased that his department, and 11 others, had made “significant progress” in implementing the government’s 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language, 2010-2030.

In response to the survey, Conradh na Gaeilge has demanded immediate action by the government, including the provision of €12 million in funding for Údarás na Gaeltachta, in tomorrow’s Budget.

“The [survey results] show every clearly that the Government is not doing enough to promote the Irish language,” Conradh president Cóilín Ó’Cearbhaill said in a statement this afternoon.

The group repeated its recent call for the Official Languages Bill to be shelved for another six months and amended, and the government to end the derogation of the Irish language in the EU, which would mean all official EU announcements would have to be translated into Irish.

Today’s survey comes after comments made just last Friday, when former RTÉ and TG4 chief Cathal Goan criticised the Taoiseach for appointing the “less than fluent” McHugh.

At the time, McHugh’s appointment caused widespread outrage, when it emerged that he couldn’t speak the Irish language fluently.

Since the summer, however, he has been taking intensive lessons, and was able to hold his own in an interview ‘as Gaeilge’ on Raidio na Gaeltachta in August.

Poll: Does it matter that the Gaeltacht Minister isn’t fluent in Irish?>

The new Gaeltacht minister isn’t fluent in Irish>

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25 Comments
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    Mute Were Jammin
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:05 PM

    “Two thirds think Enda was wrong to appoint Joe McHugh as Gaeltacht Minister”

    Unfortunately, three thirds of Enda Kenny doesn’t care what people think.

    234
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    Mute Eddie Binbags
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:01 PM

    Two turds is about right!

    131
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    Mute FearCiarraioch
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:27 PM

    Much more then that equally think that every decision made by An Taoiseach and his equally inept various Cabinets, are disastrous!

    83
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    Mute Karl
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:25 PM

    @ Daryl the shameless blueshirt stooge ……. Our pathetic Dim witted Lying embarrassment of a self serving Taoiseach is actually too busy feathering his and his cronies nests, and screwing the citizens of this country to the wall , all the while slobbering like the idiot he is , on his knees to his masters In Brussels and Berlin .

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    Mute john kinsella
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    Oct 13th 2014, 5:48 PM

    He’s been known to be at Dennis O’ brien’s zipper as well.

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    Mute Inntalitarian
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:18 PM

    This issue pales into insignificance and only serves to distract from the actual issues at hand, primarily Irish Water!

    65
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    Mute Marcus O'Connor
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:47 PM

    Whoa whoa whoa there cowboy, how dare you bring up Irish Water when Ebola, the triple-dip economic slowdown and global warming are all still unsorted. Get a grip.

    38
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    Mute Dan public
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:19 PM

    Only 2/3 the rest must be drunk

    51
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    Mute Diarmuid O'Connor
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:25 PM

    The other third didn’t understand the question.

    59
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    Mute Maureen Stanford
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    Oct 13th 2014, 4:06 PM

    Enda is wrong about everything he’s not a ruler he thinks he’s a film star swaning around the world has gone to his silly head

    32
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    Mute Frances King
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    Oct 13th 2014, 7:16 PM

    I would rather see a Gaeilgeoir appointed to this job, but on the same note, would it not then make sense that the minister for Finance should be an Accountant, the Minister for Justice a Lawyer, the Minister for Health a Doctor, the minister for Education a Teacher and so on??? Alot of ministers are appointed to departments over which they have no actual experience or qualifications. So either its not a requirement (as they probably have lots of advisors anyway) or it is …in which case the minister for An Gaeltacht need not be singled out!

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    Mute Search Eagle
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    Oct 13th 2014, 7:21 PM

    Very cogent point.

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    Mute Alien8
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    Oct 13th 2014, 3:13 PM

    Because everyone was really happy with the contribution made by the previous Ministers of State for the Gaeltacht? Can anyone name any previous minister or MoS, and anything that they may have done? At least this guy is getting Irish on the news in some way.

    It’s not as if he got the job just because he married into the family of a former FG chairman now, it it?

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    Mute Darryl Weathers
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:10 PM

    Enda’s too busy rescuing te country from the brink to be concerned by this.

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    Mute Pete Foley
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:39 PM

    Your funny lol

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    Mute Darryl Weathers
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:43 PM

    You’re illiterate.

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    Mute Pete Foley
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:47 PM

    So

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    Mute Inntalitarian
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    Oct 13th 2014, 3:23 PM

    *the

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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Oct 13th 2014, 5:15 PM

    I wonder who he is related to?

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    Mute Lexie Keady
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    Oct 13th 2014, 2:07 PM

    .

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    Mute gerry campbell
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    Oct 13th 2014, 5:30 PM

    Did Enda appoint him, I thought it was his masters in the big money fish business that wanted him as their puppet, oh you live and learn, twas lucky they got their man so.

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    Mute Search Eagle
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    Oct 13th 2014, 6:40 PM

    Yet another scheme to waste people’s hard-earned money on.

    “which would mean all official EU announcements would have to be translated into Irish.”

    For the benefit of who?

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    Mute Eugene Comaskey
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    Oct 13th 2014, 8:01 PM

    The problem is that Enda does not care about anyone. We, the voters are gobs….s in his eyes. He was well backed up by Hogan, Reilly,Ring and a host of clowns that know no better.Goes to show what He cares about the Arts or the Gaeltacht when he appointed Humphries and McHugh. Not to worry, 2016 is coming.

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    Mute Paul O'Grady
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    Oct 13th 2014, 8:00 PM

    Seriously – what has a fluency in Irish got to do with being the best person for this job? Would they prefer a less capable person who was fluent in Irish????

    In that case, let’s make Gerry Adams the minister!!

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Oct 14th 2014, 2:01 PM

    The shole thing is a waste of tax payers money !

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