System fails Árainn Mhór

Residents of Ireland's second most populated island have warned that unless co-ordinated action is taken at all levels then Árainn Mhór's future looks very much like its past.

There has been a steady fall in the population which now stands at 522 with most young people leaving as soon as they can for further education and better job opportunities. A quarter of islanders are unemployed and there is 56% male unemployment.

Traditional fishing and agriculture have declined significantly. The age profile of islanders is increasing and there is a high dependency on social welfare and other state supports.

The level of fluency in the Irish language has dropped to 55% but the island's Co-op says there is great interest in the community in making Irish the main language of the island once again and they hope to employ an Irish officer to progress that.

Islanders say support is needed from State agencies to achieve their plan and Údaras na Gaeltachta Chairman Liam O'Cuinneagáin said he is optimistic the government will give its support.

RTÉ News

Our unsustainable system forces people out of their traditional homes, out of their traditional roles and their culture into extinction. Yay progress.

Given the spate of recent, impotent cut-backs in government spending (which ofcourse, won't include the ridiculous salaries of TDs), I would unfortunately not be too hopeful of that money arriving any time soon. The government aren't too fond of forking for anything relating to the Irish language at the best of times.

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The establishment of an Irish language education centre first announced for Ballyvourney nine years ago is in serious doubt due to government cutbacks over the economic downturn.

In March 2007, former Education minister Mary Hanafin announced that four staff were to be assigned to the proposed Ballyvourney centre, and that €1 million was to be allocated to an Comhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG), the advisory body who would be responsible for the resource.

Rather than employing any additional staff in Ballyvourney, COGG chief executive Muireann Ní Mhóráin says the group will be losing one of four staff in Dublin, due to an employee leaving, and the money not being there to hire anybody else. Ms Ní Mhóráin revealed that the Ballyvourney posts “were announced, not sanctioned,” with no movement on the recruitment of staff since the jobs were mentioned 18 months ago.

Independent

Nice to see our priorities are right (see below).