A Chara, - The proposal that An Garda Síochána should drop the requirement that new recruits should have a working knowledge of An Ghaeilge raises some serious questions.
Whilst I don't think anybody could seriously dispute the need to recruit members from our increasingly diverse ethnic communities, can anyone name one national police force that has dropped one of the national languages to recruit new members?
This is a typically short-sighted and insulting approach to our national identity and an affront to our Constitution. There is no reason why people of other ethnic backgrounds cannot learn enough Gaeilge to be able to join the Garda Síochána and groups such as I Measc illustrate that many people of foreign backgrounds not only can but are very interested in learning our other national language. Furthermore, many of the "new Irish" will have experience of police forces that didn't respect their cultures or languages in their own land and would they or we for that matter really want a police force that does not respect a very important part of our culture or worse still, not speak one of our constitutionally recognised national and native languages? - Is mise le meas,
DOMHNALL Ó MUIRÍ, Leamhcán, Co Bhaile Átha Cliath.