Him speak fluent Irish? That’s un-possible.
There’s nothing like a cabinet reshuffle to improve the mood as people come to grips with the fact that there will be no more World Cup football for another four years and as is often the case with affairs in Leinster House, it got people talking if not necessarily for the right reasons.
A number of new Ministers of State were revealed earlier today, amongst whom was Donegal North East TD Joe McHugh, who has been appointed Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, with special responsibility for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources.
There’s only one small problem. McHugh is not a fluent Irish speaker.
Now, a lot of Irish people are not fluent Irish speakers but they don’t have responsibility for Gaeltacht affairs and inevitably – and in fairness, understandably – McHugh’s appointment to the role has caused a few rumbles in the political and Irish-speaking community.
Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív, for example, described the appointment as “shocking and disappointing” and said that it was a “slap in the face” for Gaeltacht communities.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny did say that McHugh has been booked in for an Irish language course, but whether that will quell the initial anger at his appointment remains to be seen.
It’s not often we paraphrase Richie Kavanagh in these parts, but those against the appointment will be wondering if anyone around Leinster House seems to give any focal at all.
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