Professor plays fast and loose with facts

PROFESSOR Emeritus Brian M Walker (“Politicians caused Stormont collapse, but programmes like BBC Nolan Show don’t help,” Online, March 8) quotes a figure that seems to have been plucked from the air: “Elsewhere, however, there has been greater success in promoting Gaelic (sic) languages. In Wales, some 20% regularly speak Welsh, while in Scotland Gaelic is spoken regularly by around 5%.”

In Scotland, there are approximately 57,000 fluent speakers, so regular users are likely to amount to less than 1% of the population. Wales, therefore, seems to be doing far better in promoting and protecting their Celtic language.

Might that have anything to do with the fact that Wales boasts far greater legislative support for their language? Without doubt.

Indeed, all of the services and rights proposed for Irish that Professor Walker describes as “extreme” are available in Wales.

They likely account, in part, for the language’s comparative vitality.

Why does Professor Walker treat the facts in such a manner?

Whatever it is, it affects the quality of debate on matters relating to the Irish language.

EOIN O MURCHU Dublin