Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

candidate Dáil election

A chara,

I live in your constituency. I am a young person, I am proud Irish speaker and I am a vote. I am, along with many others, very concerned about Fine Gael´s policy regarding Irish in the Leaving Certificate syllablus. Enda Kenny has released his plans to remove Irish as a compulsory subject from the Leaving Cert, a plan which he seems to think will solve the Irish language problem in the education system. But in all seriousness, when the policy is considered properly, it is a hugely arrogant concept that insults our language and its speakers. The problem lies not with the fact that Irish is a compulsory subject but in its teaching and curriculum. This policy makes absolutley no sense and if implemented, will do irreversable damage to our language.

If you are elected, will you support keeping Irish as a core Leaving Certificate subject?

A Chara,

Is mac léinn mé atá ag déanamh staidear ar an nGaeilge i mBáile Áth Cliath ach is é Longfort-An Iarmhí mo dháilcheantar. Ní raibh mé cinnte cén tideal a roghnu agus mé ag scríobh é seo - socraigh mé le ´oideachas´ ach domsa ta tionchar ag bhur polaisí i gcoinne an Gaeilge ar mo shaol uillig - ta sé deacair go leor post a fháil anois ach má cuirtear an polaisí seo i bhfeidhim níl seans ar bith agam amach anseo!!!

Nílim sásta vóta a chaitheamh ort nó ar Fhine Gael agus sibh i mbún an polaisí Gaeilge a dhéanamh mar ábhar roghnach don Ardteist. Tá sibh chun deireadh a cur leis ár dteanga agus ár gcultúr! Is céim siar í seo agus muid i ndiaidh stadas oifigiúil a fháil di san Aontas Eorpach.

Cad é an seasamh atá agat i dtaobh an Ghaeilge a choinneáil mar chroí-ábhar don Ardteist?

(I am a student studying Irish in Dublin and you are running for election in my constituency. I was not sure which issue to choose when writing this - I decided upon ´education´ yet Fine Gael´s policy against the Irish language will have immense consequences on my whole life, especially when I am looking for a job in the very near future.

I am not happy to vote for you or on behalf of any Fine Gael candidate if you support the policy to remove the Irish language as a compulsory subject for the Leaving Certificate. You are in turn ruining our national language and our culture. This is a step backwards after all the hard work that went into making Irish an official language in the European Union.

How do you stand on keeping Irish as a compulsory core subject for the Leaving Certificate?)

Scríobh ar ais chugam as Gaeilge muna mhiste leas.
(if you don´t mind I would prefer an answer in Irish)

Le gach dea-ghuí,

Ní

Dear Nicky,

I have read today that Fine Gael intends to reverse the stag hunting ban. I am so disappointed to read this. How can your party justify this?

I thought that your party would protect the welfare of animals in the wild. I am at a loss why you would make a decision to reverse this ban at this time.

Will you please make representations to Enda Kenny NOT to repeal the ban introduced by the Fianna Fáil/Green Party coalition?

regards

Elaine