Irish Language Committee calls on NUIG to reconsider decision on future presidents not being required to be fluent in Irish

The Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands has written to National University of Ireland, Galway to request the Governing Authority to reconsider its decision that future Presidents of the University will not be required to be fluent in Irish.  

Chairperson of the Committee Catherine Connolly TD: “I refer to the attendance of representatives of the National University of Ireland, Galway at a meeting of the Comhchoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus na nOileán of the Oireachtas on 4 April 2017.

“At that meeting the Committee considered the topic ‘The President of the University, Galway and the need for the person who holds this office to be fluent in Irish as one of his or her competencies’ with the representatives from the University’.

“After this consideration, the Committee agreed to write to the National University of Ireland, Galway and to request it to review the decision the University Authority made to dispense with the requirement that, in future, a person who would be appointed as President of the University, would be required to be fluent in Irish.  The Committee agreed to forward a copy of the official record of the Public Session of the meeting on 4 April 2017, relating to this decision, to the University. The Committee agreed to request the University to distribute the record to each and every member of the Authority and to any other person that had a role in the first decision and that would have a role in the review as proposed.”

ENDS/