OFFICIAL bodies with responsibility for Gaelic remain in denial about the severity of the crisis facing the language, a leading expert has said. Professor Conchúr Ó Giollagáin said Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Scotland s Gaelic quango, may be seeking to kill reform with kindness and called for political leadership to break the current impasse. It comes just over a year after a major study led by Ó Giollagáin warned Gaelic-speaking communities are unlikely to survive anywhere in Scotland beyond this decade unless urgent action is taken. Writing in today s Herald on Sunday, he said: Official bodies with responsibility for Gaelic promotion remain in denial about the severity of the challenges facing these communities.
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Scottish border sign in English and Gaelic.
Sir, – I write in response to Alex Bell’s article (Courier, March 11) about Gaelic.
Bòrd na Gàidhlig, every five years, prepares a National Plan for Gaelic.
This is the Scottish Government’s strategy for supporting and promoting Gaelic.
We welcome Mr Bell’s support for one of the key messages in the current plan.
It states that retaining an economically active population in island and rural communities where Gaelic is still spoken by the majority of people is critical.
To achieve this, housing, jobs, transport and digital connectivity are key and Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnG) consistently promotes this in its work.