Now even Holyrood cleaners go Gaelic

CLEANERS, porters and catering staff are to be offered Gaelic lessons as part of a radical Holyrood bid to promote the language.

The proposals, put forward in the Scottish parliament’s new five-year Gaelic Language Plan, are part of a drive to ensure all staff are given the opportunity to learn Gaelic.

Holyrood chiefs say they want to ‘recognise Gaelic’s special status’ and show members of the public ‘the use of Gaelic is possible and welcome’.

However, critics have questioned why staff with little to no public interaction require the training.

As well as MSPs, their staff and Holyrood employees, Gaelic training sessions will be offered to on-site contractors – including cleaners, porters and caterers.

Gaelic Awareness Training – with a two-hour course about the history and revival of Gaelic and how it is used in the parliament – will become ‘mandatory’ for all public-facing staff.

They will also be encouraged to take a basic Gaelic phrases course, run by the parliament’s Gaelic Officer.

The proposal also recommends that MSPs and their staff are issued with bilingual business cards – with an ‘opt out’ rather than ‘opt in’ policy.

Bilingual lanyards will also be issued to all visitors to Holyrood.

Between 2020 and 2023 Holyrood also hopes to recruit a Gaelic Writer in Residence and deliver the Time for Reflection in Gaelic once per session.

A Gaelic Apprenticeship will also be introduced through the Scottish Parliament Apprenticeship scheme.

New logos or developments of existing logos will include Gaelic and the plan states: ‘Gaelic and English will be treated on a basis of equal respect.’

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Families in Scotland pay their taxes for good public services, not mandatory language tutoring. Spending decisions such as these give taxpayers little confidence in politicians’ priorities.’

A Scottish parliament spokesman said: ‘The Scottish parliament recognises Gaelic’s special status and that is reflected in our laws and in the Gaelic services we offer people when visiting Holyrood.’

A spokesman for language body Bòrd na Gàidhlig said: ‘We welcome the continuing commitment to ensuring that the language is prominent throughout the parliament building and in the work of the parliament.’