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Tuairisc ón Bhaile Meánach - áit mar a bhfuil an 16ú aois i réim go fóill. Níl a fhios agam cén nuachtán ar as an tuairisc seo, nuachtán de chuid na háite dhearfainn.

Mar a tharlaíonn sdé tá mé i ndiaidh fáil amach gur an Ballymena Times an nuachtán atá i gceist.

Is é an deontas don Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge atá i gceist, airgead a tháinig ó rialtas na Breataine i ndiaidh gur 'chlis' ar Edwin Poots agus é go 'díograiseach' ag brú ar son airgead don Chiste.

By Michael McGlade

BALLYMENA Borough Council has passed a motion describing the Irish Language Act as a 'waste of public resources'.
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In a predictably heated debate among Councillors at last week's Monthly meeting, Irish was labelled as a 'dead' and 'divisive' language by Unionist representatives.

The original motion brought by Cllr. Robin Stirling of the UUCP was defeated, with an amendment put forward by the DUP eventually being passed on 9-7 vote.

Tempers flared in the Council chamber when Sinn Fein Councillor Monica Digney asked why Unionist where opposed to the costs of the Irish Act and questioned the costs of Twelfth bonfires in the borough and the hosting of the recent RIR homecoming parade.

The successful DUP amendment read: "Ballymena Borough Council believes that the actions of HM Government regarding additional funding for the Irish Language was a negative throwback to the inequalities of Direct Rule, and further it was unjustified in a time of economic recession and calls upon the Northern Ireland Assembly Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure to explore (a] ways to redress the potential for language inequality and (b] ways of preventing further such waste of public resources."

Opening the debate, Cllr. Stirling began: "How many of you believe that in five years, ten years or 20 years, as you walk the precincts of Ballymena, you will hear the Irish language spoken fluently or even haltingly." Casting his doubts on the demand for Irish, Cllr Stirling quoted figures from the CCEA exams body: "In the present year, 2008, Irish at A Level was studied by only 248 pupils. This represents a fall of 11% from 2007 and a more significant decline by 24% from 2006 when 329 pupils took the A level exam. GCSE level shows a similar lack of demand for Irish language studies."

Seconding the motion, UUCP Councillor Roy Gillespie said: "I am pleased to second this motion. This is a total waste of public resources. The majority population in Northern Ireland has no interest in the Irish language.

"The Irish campaign has replaced the bomb and the bullet. We are in a recession, our education and health are suffering. This outrageous grant is unfair. It has no useful purpose."

Sinn Fein Councillor Monica Digney countered: "I wonder if Irish is no threat to you, then why do you bring it up here tonight.

"This money was set aside for Irish, it is not new money. Irish is one of the fastest growing languages. There are now Irish speaking PSNI officers on the Falls Road. I would like to know how much the RIR parade on Friday night cost. How much does it cost to clean up the bonfires at the Twelfth?."

Deputy Mayor, Declan O'Loan called it an 'unfortunate motion' which he said was 'based in ignorance'. The SDLP councillor even alluded to the fact that Cllr. Roy Gillespie's had a Gaelic origin. "I would the proposer, has he nothing better to bring us. The motion is so profoundly based in ignorance. There is a culture and a history of which you know nothing and it is something which deserves government support.

Ulster Unionist Councillor, James Currie said: "Yes, by all means preserve the language, but not by excessive means."

Putting forward the DUP amendment to the motion, Cllr. Tommy Nicholl said: "... we clearly aggree that this award was a bad move on the part of the Prime Minister. We all know why it was made.

"Clearly this is not the time to be wasting so much public money in that manner. This award was made because it related to an area of government that lay in direct responsibility of central government. It was a reminder of the worst days of Direct Rule when the governmnet did everything in it's power to give concessions to Sinn Fein.

"Thankfully those concessions have ceased where power has been devolved. But it is still the natural reaction of the government to give in to Sinn Fein demands."

Seconding the amendment, Cllr. Paul Frew said: "Let me make it clear I have nothing against this language. The problem is not with the Irish language, but the way it is used by republicans to alienate the Protestant and Unionist people. There should be funding for Irish and other languages, but we are entering a recession.

"I must say that Sinn fein have yet again embarrassed themselves, by attacking our soldiers here tonight. I get phonecalls weekly about Cllr. Digney's rants. What about the bombs in Ballymena, how much did that cost in terms of money and lives?"

UUCP Councillor William Wilkinson said Irish was a 'divisive language', while Independent Councillor Joe McKernan said he would be voting on the motion and amendments as he had learnt Irish during his studies in Dublin.

The final words on the debate were left to the author of the original motion, Cllr. Stirling. "Motivations for fostering the Irish language in Northern Ireland and the Republic vary. Sinn Fein's justification is brutally straightforward. A Sinn Fein cultural officer is on record as stating: 'Every phrase or word you learn is a bullet in the freedom struggle'.

"That sentiment is totally in accord with Sinn Fein's hatred of Unionists, of all things British and Protestantism", Cllr. Stirling concluded.