Tá fadhb leanúnach sna ceantair Ghaeltachta maidir le gardaí agus a gcumas Gaeilge. Dúirt an Coimisinéir Teanga nach bhfuil ach duine as gach triúr garda in ann Gaeilge a labhairt. Is fadhb ollmhór é sin i gceantair Ghaeltachta. Ag an am céanna, áfach, tá gardaí le Gaeilge i gceantair éagsúla atá sásta agus ag iarraidh bogadh chuig na ceantair Ghaeltachta sin, áit ar féidir leo clanna a thógáil trí Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht, ach níl siad in ann é sin a dhéanamh. Más rud é go bhfuil muid dáiríre faoi ghardaí sa Ghaeltacht, caithfear a chinntiú go bhfuil Gaeilge acu ionas go mbeidh siad in ann déileáil le daoine ina dteanga féin. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go mbreathnófar air seo le teacht suas leis an mbealach ar féidir níos mó daoine le Gaeilge a earcú, chomh maith le héascaíocht a dhéanamh ar ghardaí reatha a bhfuil Gaeilge acu bogadh chun na Gaeltachta. It is important that we ensure there are gardaí who speak Irish in Gaeltacht areas. We know that only one in three gardaí in Gaeltacht areas can speak Irish. An Coimisinéir Teanga found that An Garda Síochána is in breach of its own legal obligations as a result of that. It is incredibly important that people be able to speak to gardaí in their own language. It is about building trust and confidence. Community gardaí play an incredible and important role in Galway, but in the last year we have seen an increase of only one community garda in the area. We need to increase the number. There are many instances where the local community garda will know exactly what is going on in an area before anybody else. Community gardaí have knowledge of the people, communities and issues, and they need to be assisted by there being more of them in order that they can fulfil their role.

Sentiment score: 0.09