Oct
13
Conradh na Gaeilge could have chosen a better time for this?
By
Uafásach, Conradh Na Gaeilge are most definitely off my Christmas card list.
Choosing the financial crisis as an opportunity to call for banks to introduce bilingual banking services online and at ATMs shows extremely poor judgement. The banks and the government have slightly more important things on their minds at the moment.
C na G do great work to promote the Irish language, but their stupid press release has made me think they are just a shower of loop the loops. Who funds these people anyway?
7 Comments
October 13th, 2008 at 11:16 am
The argument is that, as the Banks are now receiving taxpayers money, they ought to provide a better service for Irish speakers.
Not beyond the bounds of possibilty. A few BoI ATMs for example have an Irish option – others of the smae make and model do not not. Why not? They’ve obviously spent the money on the software, why not roll it out everywhere?
BoI also make online banking available in Mandarin, Russian and Polish – but not Irish. Again, they spent the money, and could have included Irish for a small incremental cost – but they didn’t.
The State now has a lever – the financial package – to get these small, modest changes done. Why shouldn’t Conradh na Gaeilge act on this opportunity? I think they would have been in dereliction of duty not to.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I agree 100% with the objectives, but stick with the assertion that the timing was wrong. Why not wait until things settle down and see how the whole situation pans out, and then make the case. Right now, emotions are high and the message gets lost. Sure, do your duty, but do it at a time when emotions aren’t so high. The whole press release was a bit “me me me”… The country is going through tough times, and a lot of us have more pressing things on our minds – like staying in business, keeping jobs etc. etc.
October 13th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Well, the timing got your attention!
The context is that the requirements being set out by the government for the guarentee have not yet being fixed.
Adding a clause to Irish would be a low cost way for the government to improve meeting its objectives on Irish (see http://www.plean2028.ie) and, as I’ve pointed out above wouldn’t cause the banks that much more additional cost.
The constraints on doing business in Irish have been a major contributor to the demise of the language in the Gaeltacht.
The “more pressing things” (Or the alternative “Why not spend the money on hospitals”) argument is the stock in trade argument to oppose any advance on Irish.
October 13th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
It got my attention, sure, but has annoyed me because of the timing. I’m now looking on the organisation in a less favourable light.
The organisation needs to look closely at the way they are putting forward their arguments so that the “stock in trade” response is not always thrown back.
Suggest they have a read of “Made to Stick” and work on the message and delivery a bit harder.
October 13th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
But what you are suggesting is that they let an opportunity where the Government has influence on the banks pass!
How is that going to help?
I have been politely approaching BoI about issues like the above (most of their online stuff balks at diacritics, for example), and taking advantage of services when they are offered in Irish (I have a chequebook in Irish, and my Vodafone bill is in Irish – I even bought the Tooco because it is in Irish).
But frankly, being polite and standing patiently in line just doesn’t work. The only way Irish speakers have ever got anything (RnaG, TG4, etc,) was by being bloody awkward about it.
October 13th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
The government can introduced legislation on any matter at any time if they have the desire to do it. Quite plainly they haven’t up to now, so why would they bother at this juncture.
Anyway, we could round in circles, we’ll just agree to differ on the timing and agree on the substance and aims.
October 13th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Because up to now, the Government needed the banks. Now the boot is on the other foot.
But after that, we’ll agree to differ….