Tha mi ag aontachadh leis a’ mhòr-chuid de na chaidh a ràdh gu ruige seo. Na bha a dhìth oirnn aig ìre nàiseanta, ’s e pròiseas a bha a h-uile duine againn a’ tuigse. Cha robh càil a mhath dhuinn a bhith dìreach ann an aon phàirt den dùthaich a bhith a’ dèiligeadh ri iarrtas airson foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig agus an uair sin a’ dèiligeadh ris ann an dòigh gu tur eadar-dhealaichte ann an àite eile. Agus tha am bile seo a’ cur pròiseas air ar beulaibh ge brith càite a bheil sinn anns an dùthaich. Bidh proportionality ann, mar a bha Iain Caimbeul ag ràdh. Chan e ’s gu bheil sinn dol a dhèiligeadh ri foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig san aon dòigh can an-dràsta far a bheil i air a’ Ghàidhealtachd no anns na h-Eileanan Siar no ann an Siorrachd Aonghais no Siorrachd Àir, mar eisimpleir.
Feumaidh sinn a bhith mothachail mu dheidhinn sin ach cuideachd gum bi e ciallach a ràdh gu bheil a’ chuid as motha de h-ùghdarrasan ionadail a tha a’ cur ri foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig air oidhirp mhòr a dhèanamh. Chanainn-sa an-dràsta gu bheil Comhairle Baile Dhùn Èideann, Comhairle Baile Ghlaschu, Comhairle Earra-Ghàidheal is Bhòid, Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd agus Comhairle nan Eilean Siar air oidhirp mhòr a dhèanamh agus air adhartas mòr a dhèanamh ri toirt foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig air adhart agus sin tro na planaichean cànain aca fhèin.
Tha planaichean reachdail againn mar chomhairle a tha toirt dhuinn stiùir mu dheidhinn dè tha sinn a’ dèanamh mu dheidhinn foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig agus tha sin air aontachadh le Bòrd na Gàidhlig aig ìre reachdail. Agus ma smaoinicheas sinn fhèn ann an Inbhir Nis, a’ chiad sgoil dìreach airson na Gàidhlig a chaidh a thogail ann an 2007: Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis. Thàinig oirnn a leudachadh ann an 2010 agus tha i a-nis loma-làn a-rithist agus sùil againn ri dè bu chòir dhuinn dèanamh mu dheidhinn sgoil eile ann an Inbhir Nis, ’s mathaid. ’S e teachdaireachd mhath a tha sin.
Ann an dà mhìos eile—anns an Lùnastal—tha sinn a’ fosgladh sgoil ùr Ghàidhlig anns a’ Ghearasdan agus tha sinn an-dràsta a’ togail sgoil ùr Ghàidhlig ann am Port Rìgh a bhios fosgailte ann an 2017. Tha sinn ag obair agus a’ dèanamh adhartas aig ìre àrd-sgoil ann an acadamaidh rìoghail Inbhir Nis. Tha ionad ùr Gàidhlig gu bhith an sin ann am bliadhna gu leth. Cuideachd, tha ionad trì gu 18 gu bhith ann am àrd-sgoil ùr Baile Dhubhthaich agus bidh a’ Ghàidhlig air a stèidheachadh taobh a-staigh sin.
Tha adhartas ann; tha obair mhòr ann, ach chan eil sin ag ràdh nach eil dùbhlan air ar beulaibh. Tha e math dha-rìribh airgead calpa fhaighinn, ach tha dùbhlan ann mu dheidhinn luchd-obrach. Cuideachd, ge brith dè a thig a-mach às a’ bhile, ma bhios sinn soirbheachail ag àrdachadh nan àireamhan, feumaidh sinn goireasan agus airgead a chur air cùlaibh sin.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
I agree with much of what has been said. At a national level, we need a process that we all understand. There is no point in dealing with demand for GME in one part of the country in one way and then having a different way of dealing with it in another part of the country. The bill creates a process that would operate throughout the country. There will be proportionality, as Iain Campbell said; we will not deal with GME in the same way in the Highlands and Western Isles as we would in Ayrshire. There will be proportionality and we must respect that.
Most local authorities that provide GME have made significant progress. The City of Edinburgh Council, Glasgow City Council, Argyll and Bute Council, Highland Council and Western Isles Council have made tremendous effort in advancing Gaelic-medium education through their Gaelic language plans.
We have statutory plans that give us guidance about GME, which have been approved by Bòrd na Gàidhlig. In Highland Council, the first school that was built specifically for GME had to be extended in 2010 and is now full again. We are now looking to see how we can provide another Gaelic school in Inverness. In September we are opening a new Gaelic school in Fort William, and we are currently building a new Gaelic school in Portree to be opened in 2017. We are working hard. We are making progress at high school level. Inverness royal academy has a new Gaelic unit, and Gaelic will be very much a part of the new campus provision for three-to-18 in Tain in 2018.
There has been a lot of progress, but there are challenges, too. Capital funding is welcomed, but there are challenges in other funding. Whatever the final shape of the bill, if we succeed in increasing numbers of GME students, there will need to be funding and other provision to meet that.