A chara, - As the PDs pointed out in February, we spend £275 million a year on teaching Irish (say £300 million on it altogether). They also calculated that the time spent on it in primary and secondary by each student is 2,500 hours, the equivalent of two years' schooling and more if you include study time, etc.
Despite all this, overall progress is very disappointing and we have failed to provide a low-cost speaking environment to cater for interested learners, including many foreigners. It seems to be easier to learn Spanish than Irish in Dublin.
I think the best hope lies in a large-scale and imaginative scheme using computers and multimedia. This could cater for a network of learners of all ages. It would provide facilities such as dictionary, grammar, self-testing, E-mail, word-processing, information, games, etc. There should be incentives to encourage multi-purpose use in preference to using English-language alternatives. Active participation, e.g., in providing information, would get learners more enthusiastically involved.
In late November, 1995, I submitted a proposal in this regard to four of the leading Irish language organisations: Gael-Linn, Bord na Gaeilge, Comhdhail Naisiunta na Gaeilge and Conradh na Gaeilge. Only the first-named replied (after nine months), even though, being publicly funded, they would all be expected to welcome ideas.
In the meantime, Irish has been further marginalised by the explosion of the English-language Internet. -Is mise, P. O'Shea,
Crannagh Park,
Dublin 14.