Lack of TG4 presidential debate is ‘disrespectful’
TG4 has confirmed it will not host a televised Presidential election debate ‘trí mheán na Gaeilge’.
The national Irish language public service broadcaster based in Baile na hAbhann has ruled out a debate in Irish, or a bilingual debate, between candidates bidding to win the race for the Áras.
It did not elaborate on why, but it’s understood the broadcaster took the decision because only one of the declared candidates so far – Galway West Independent TD Catherine Connolly – is a fluent Irish speaker.
Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin and Fine Gael’s candidate Heather Humphreys, a former Gaeltacht Minister, have a ‘cúpla focal’. Both vowed to learn Irish if elected to succeed Gaeilgeoir Michael D Higgins.
Asked about its plans for election coverage, a spokesperson confirmed to the City Tribune there would be no debate with Presidential candidates.
“TG4 will not be hosting a Presidential debate this year. However, the candidates will receive coverage across our current affairs programme 7Lá, as well as Nuacht TG4 and Nuacht Cúla4.
“Through these outlets, the Irish language community will have the opportunity to hear from the candidates and their positions in the run-up to the Presidential election,” TG4 said in a statement.
The decision has been described as “surprising” by the Catherine Connolly camp.
“It’s not really acceptable that the Irish-language-speaking population of Ireland are being denied of political debate on our national Irish language broadcaster,” a spokesperson for Catherine Connolly’s campaign said.
“It’s surprising they have made that decision in advance of knowing who all the candidates are. And obviously, it’s disrespectful to the Irish-language-speaking community of this country. What inquiries did TG4 make of the other two people who likely will be on the ballot paper to establish what level of Irish they do or don’t have?”
In 2011, TG4 hosted a bilingual debate with seven candidates but most of the exchanges were in English because only Michael D Higgins was fluent in Irish. During the last campaign in 2018, TG4 did not host a debate as Gaeilge.
Deputy Connolly previously said she “took for granted” that everybody standing in the Presidential election would have Irish, the first official language of the State.
The current chair of the Oireachtas Committee on the Irish language said she had Irish as a Galway City Councillor but didn’t have fluency until she went back and learned it.
Last Monday at the Teachers’ Club in Dublin, an Irish language affinity group ‘Gaeilgeoirí ar son Connolly’, was launched with Irish-speaking members of the public who support Catherine Connolly’s campaign.
The event included a panel discussion on the theme of language rights in the 21st Century.
Similar groups including ‘Students for Connolly’ and ‘Artists for Connolly’ have already been launched.
Pictured: Catherine Connolly is the only Irish speaker in the Presidential election. PHOTO: BRIAN HARDING.