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BRÍD SMITH AND Taoiseach Leo Varadkar clashed in the Dáil this afternoon, with Smith repeatedly accusing Varadkar of lying and of telling “untruths” during a fiery back-and-forth on lobbying and climate legislation.
The Dáil was also suspended for several minutes this afternoon after Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy repeatedly refused to take his seat after being instructed to by Leas Ceann Comhairle Pat The Cope Gallagher.
Murphy was criticising the government’s use of money messages to block legislation ahead of a protest that was set to take place outside the Dáil this evening. “Effectively, the government has been using the money message as US-style presidential veto, which it is not designed for,” Murphy said in a statement.
Smith had earlier criticised the government’s recent blocking of the Climate Emergency Measures Bill, which was halted from progressing to the next stage after Fine Gael put down a money message, which claims the new legislation would be too costly.
During leaders’ questions, Solidarity-People Before Profit’s Smith said that the government had been lobbied by the fossil fuel industry and that no record was kept of a meeting between John Carroll, the head of policy in the Department of the Taoiseach, and Feargal Purcell, a former government official, regarding oil and gas drilling in Irish waters.
Over the weekend, The Sunday Business Post reported that while the meeting was recorded on the lobbying register, the Department of the Taoiseach said that it had no record of the meeting.
After being interrupted and reprimanded by Gallagher, Smith withdrew comments accusing Varadkar of lying but said he had told “untruths” in relation to the need for a money message regarding the Climate Emergency Measures Bill.
Smith questioned the links between this meeting and the government’s blocking of the Climate Emergency Measures Bill.
“Your office kept no record of that lobbying. When did the meeting between Mr Purcell and Mr Carroll take place, what was discussed, because the timing of that is important,” Smith said.
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In response, Varadkar defended the government’s use of money messages: “The decision on whether or not the money message is required is one for the Ceann Comhairle. And the Ceann Comhairle can listen to the case made by the sponsor and the case made by the government. And I respect the Ceann Comhairle’s ability to listen to both sides of the argument and make a decision.”
Varadkar also rejected the claim he had been untruthful in relation to lobbying. “Lobbying is not a nefarious activity. It is a part of democracy. We are all lobbied all the time, whether it’s been by trade unions or whether it’s by the IFA or IBEC or business organisations,” he said.
“There is no record of the meeting because there was no meeting in the Department of the Taoiseach between two people you mentioned. What happened, Deputy, was that the lobbyist in question asked my advisor to meet him for a coffee. He didn’t tell him what the reason was. Over the coffee, he raised this issue and he declared it in the lobby register,” he added.
In her response, Smith rejected Varadkar’s explanation. “Clearly, someone is telling something that is not correct,” she said. “There was a deliberate thwarting and blocking of this bill in order to do the bidding of the fossil fuel industry.”
Varadkar said that the meeting, which he said took place on 2 May, did not need to be recorded because there is no obligation on the person being lobbied to record meetings.
Smith shouted back at Varadkar, with Gallagher accusing her of being “totally disorderly”.
“I’m totally angry,” she responded.
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It would also be good if the government overhauled how it’s taught in our schools so people could learn how to speak it properly.
@johnbunton: Too right! Irish should be taught the same way as French or German, for example. Prose and poetry should be made optional for those who want to do it and these should be done in separate classes. Knowledge of the language should be prioritised first and foremost.
@johnbunton: it has been. 40% oral.
@Ken Loughman: I’m a fluent speaker and got top marks in LC Irish and I completely agree. Seperate language and literature papers, leave language as compulsory and have literature as an option. It’s hardly fair to those who struggle (either with languages in general or specifically with Irish) to be expected to have an in depth knowledge of the poems, plays etc if they’re finding it hard to grasp the actual language itself. Plus it’ll also benefit those who do have strong Irish as they’ll have another optional subject they can be confident in.
@Frainc Ó Broin: it’s still not enough in my opinion. Students all across Europe students are fluent in at least two languages. We start learning Irish at the age of 5 and stop at age of 17 or 18 and most people still don’t have a clue outside the set oral spiel we all have to give. There’s something very wrong with the system when you could get an A or B in higher level Irish and not be a fluent speaker at the end of it.
@Ebony: I based my comment on my own experience in secondary school. While I enjoyed learning the grammar I hated the prose and poetry. It serves absolutely no purpose for everyday situations in the 21st Century.
I should add that one of my great-grandmothers from Mayo was a native speaker and my Dad was fluent when he was younger. I regret not being fluent myself considering those connections to the language in my family. Still, there’s always Duolingo…
@Ken Loughman: It’s miles better than it was, at least at primary level. At least I think it is. My 7yo regularly comes out with a long mellifluous spiel, most of which I don’t understand.
@Ken Loughman: And how well do most Irish school leavers speak French or German ? Would a monolingual native speaker understand them or vv?
@Gearóid ÓCiaráin: Well, I speak both pretty well. I can guarantee you that school leavers who did French or German have a better chance of being able to use them in everyday situations than they would with Irish. That’s the whole problem with how Irish is being taught.
@johnbunton: it’s not how it’s taught – it’s whether or not people want to learn it – unfortunately most people don’t
@johnbunton: I think it’s also a matter of exposure. Any non-native English speakers who are fluent in English grew up watching the same films and listening to the same music as us – all in English!
@johnbunton: let’s gets teachers that engage with teachers first. My own personal experience is no interaction and Peig.
@Ken Loughman: very true im a fluent irish speaker and definitely the time spent learning poetry etc be better spent actually learning the language u don’t do french poetry or german to learn them
@johnbunton: what’s wrong with a big stick
@Thomas Harrington:I would argue that the way Irish is being taught, i.e. having to do prose and poetry at the same time instead of concentrating on the language itself, is one of the reasons why people don’t want to learn it.
The Clondalkin Irish scene is vibrant thanks in part to great work by those who established Aras Chronain. It’s worth a visit even if all you order is a Pionta, le do thol
Faoi dheireadh Caithfidh muid a bheith dóchasach go dtarlóidh sé mar a deireann siad
@Séan Ó Nuanáin: i hope to at some point be that good at irish like you. Started a course to get myself back to a decent level of irish again as i was quiet good at it in school. It all starts coming back to me the more im at it.
@shellakybooky: maybe you should start learning English first so you can be quite good at Irish.
#PrayForArlene
Irish was a complete waste of time in my secondary school. We did double Irish classes just to pass an exam but never learned how to really speak or understand real Irish
@Stipe Miocic: its sad isn’t it? I could start quoting Irish poetry to you but I haven’t a clue how to go about ordering a meal in a restaurant, buying cinema tickets etc in Irish. these are basic things you learn when you start learning another language so you feel confident speaking it. because of Polish friends who don’t treat me as an inferior species because I can’t speak the language I can speak more Polish than Irish &quite happily use it in Poland/ with Poles
@Stipe Miocic: and the fault lies with?
Arlene, will choke on her cornflakes.
Welcome to the the 21st century, where personal choice is welcomed, now to LGBT equality/rights
This entire sham is put into perspective when areas such as Clondalkin and Ennis are included.
@Adam Reid: Clondalkin has a thriving Gaelscoil. The area has a deep cultural interest and is steeped in history. The round tower garden was recently renovated and there’s a good buzz about the village. No better place to enthuse people of all ages to get involved in learning, or relearning their native language…. And of course they have Eoin Ó Broin and Lyn Boylan who do Trojan work in and for the area.
@Paul Linehan: Clondalkin has a chip shop; how many residents eat chips there?
@Adam Reid: Clondalkin also has Indian, Pizza and Chinese takeaways…. So I’m going to presume that they have choices!!!
Is fuath liom Gaeilge. D’fhéach fir brónach i gúnaí dubh a ghlac pléisiúr orthu siúd a bhí ag obair go rialta ag daoine nach bhfuaimnigh Éire mar a cheap siad gur chóir é a labhairt.
So what did we need an Irish Language Act for if we can just do this?
Seems almost like someone was trying to be antagonistic, when this could be sorted out in such a more graceful manner.
@alphanautica: Some people may have become addicted to drama, publicity and ‘historic moments’.
@Brendan O’Brien: You mean like the Majority of People in the North?? because thats who want an ILA.
So, incremental progress can be made through common sense.
Surely better than an all-or-nothing stand-off between massive tribal egos.
Do the DUP know this. ??
Proud to be Irish but Irish isn’t good for business……just saying
Stupid language
@Gearoid De Burca: Yes, English is a stupid language with everything backwards in comparison to rich languages like Irish.
@eastsmer: Irish speaking areas are full of people born with a sod of turf in their mouth.
@Gearoid De Burca: from the sounds of things, you were born with a sod of sh**e in yours.
@Gearoid De Burca: Hi Arlene!
@Gearoid De Burca: Coming from a person with an Irish name!
@Gearoid De Burca: Anyone who calls a language, any language, stupid is an ignoramus.
@Gearoid De Burca: you’re not much better obviously…..
@Leadóg: I just called it stupid
@Gearoid De Burca: With a name like yours..???
What planet are you on..
@Gearoid De Burca: At least its Irish turf.
@Gearoid De Burca: bitter that you were sh!te at Irish in school eh, Gerry Burke?
@Laura: You bite… You eat the same shite. So just grin with a wide one and except you’ve improved by at least on the higher intelligence ladder!!!
G
An Ghaeltacht should be a place where ”Native” Gaeilge is spoken or else change it to Gaeltacht Dhúchasach for example. Places like those mentioned in the article above could then use An Ghaeltacht.
Difference according to the article is that it covers only a handful of Gaeltacht areas and doesn’t supply any funding. ILA (I think) covers all areas with majority Irish populations and restores some funding that was previously cut.
have your say