The writer of this piece doesn't seem to have spoken to Lá about the story but I suppose the facts would get in the way of this 'Fifth Column' article.

He claims that the newspaper's grant from Foras na Gaeilge is on top of £250,000 it 'takes' from the British government. The sum total of Lá's funding according to themselves is the money it gets from Foras na Gaeilge and the money that was promised by interreg but not yet delivered. The Foras is part sponsored by the British government and that's the only way that government funds Lá.

The Sunday Independent, owned by media moghul Sir Anthony O'Reilly, has previously tried to strangle TG4 at birth but it won't put Lá out of business with such shoddy journalism.

It might be worth reminding readers that the Independent Group has benefitted from the £4.5m funding paid to the Belfast Telegraph some years ago by the British Government.

Lá is a truthful and genuinely voice - unlike the HMV's of the Sindo.

It's all hands to the pump this weekend at the Sindo. Collins is merely riled the rest of the stable are apoplectic. Brilliant!

Lá already provided their version in the original press release..

What Liam Collins did was something other reporters of this story didn't do at the time and that was to ask Foras na Gaeilge what they had to say.

The fact of the matter is that Lá doesn't get £250,000 from the British government on top of what the Foras pays it. That's one basic error which gives a (deliberately/) misleading representation of the facts. Given that misrepresentation and how it goes to the heart of the story it's not unreasonable to assume that what Foras na Gaeilge said was also misrepresented, misquoted and taken out of context. Typical Sindo tactics. Interesting that the story was carried in the Fifth Column page rather than as a news report where some pretence of balance and objective pursuit of the truth could have been affected.

Except that the report points out that the £250,000 is the sum that Foras na Gaeilge has already given Lá.. the "also" part at the end refers to the prospective cash from the more suitable scheme that the special committee has been set up to look at.

I don't believe any reasonable person could describe this is as a 'report'. It's plain propoganda.
The money Lá has got from Foras na Gaeilge was, according to their version, an accumulated total since 1999 - the British government and the Irish government both contribute to the coffers of Foras na Gaeilge so I don't know why the British Government was specifically mentioned when it would have been both governments who would have been involved unless it was intended to give a false impression.

It seems the Sindo doesn't like Lá as the Irish language daily is a true independent voice.

Since you refer to 'propaganda', how do you characterise the original press statement by Lá? A statement that is being contradicted by Foras na Gaeilge?

I don't know whether or not the original press statement is being contradicted by Foras na Gaeilge as I don't believe that the 'report' in the Sunday Independent is truthful in all or indeed any aspect.

The press statement from what I see describes a situation which is being experienced by Lá and of course is their version of what's happening. I have yet to come across a press statement which doesn't give the version of events of the group issuing the statement. I believe the Lá statement, however, which is more than I can say for an intemperate blatantly biased rant from the alleged Independent Newspaper group.

Do you not think that this kind of 'report' falls into the Sunday Indo's avowed anti Irish language traditional stance? Or are you just trying it on?

This of course isn't the Sunday Indo's first tilt at Lá - it tried it before in the Fifth Column and got its facts wrong on that occasion also. It triumphantly boasted that the Andersonstown News Group had forgotten to register the Ireland Daily trademark and hinted that it might be reserved in advance by someone else. Of course the problem with that was that the Ireland Daily is actually the Daily Ireland which is duly registered every which way.

Shoddy reporting again - but what else do you expect from the Sunday Indo - or is that the Sunday Dodo?

Talking of shoddy journalism, the original accusation against F na G was that it had caved into political pressure. Was there ever a shred of evidence for this?

I haven't seen any direct allegation by Lá that the Foras na Gaeilge caved into political pressure from unionists.
The political pressure was obvious - see Laird's comments and actions - the effect was too clear to see. The fact that the funding was blocked despite favoourable reports from respected financial consultants - mazars and a firm appointed by Foras na Gaeilge - clearly shows the problem was not with the application made in good faith according to established procedure by the newspaper but with an 'external factor'. ie political pressure.

Oilbhéar Chromaill

You argue that La is independent. I can't speak Irish (so I haven't read La), but I would be grateful if you could tell us if La publishes political leader columns, and if these are at all in line with the views of the top man in the ATN group, a former SF politician.

I have no problem with newspapers having an editorial line whatsoever. Just curious as to the 'independence' of it.

And what is the cover price of Lá ? Is it too dear for it's target market ?

Egg..Face and On are some of the words that come to mind, when I think back to some of the comments made by BLOGGERS on this issue, on this site.

Never mind spouting your opinion try spouting the facts.

If the hats fits wear it, you have earned it.

Whereas, of course, Belfast Gonzo would prefer the 'top man' to be a former Alliance Party politician. In any case, this should not matter, Stephen

From what I have read of Lá and the Andersonstown News, it's clear that Lá has its own independent voice, distinct from the Andersonstown News.

Its most consistent message through the years has been to promote the Irish language, a stance which has put it in opposition to anti Irish language forces both north and south. If an Irish language daily newspaper can't stand up for its community in this way without being bundled into one camp or the other, then it's a poor look out for freedom of expression.

As for Belfast Gonzo's remark about the top man at the Andersonstown News being a former SF councillor, I would only remind him that a) What is it David Trimble once said, just because people have a past doesn't mean they can't have a future.
b) you can't move in Dublin or Belfast media circles without coming across top people with political pasts - eg Geraldine Kennedy, former PD TD, is editor of the Irish Times.

Its most consistent message through the years has been to promote the Irish language, a stance which has put it in opposition to anti Irish language forces both north and south. If an Irish language daily newspaper can't stand up for its community in this way without being bundled into one camp or the other, then it's a poor look out for freedom of expression.

That's a bit of a cop-out (if you pardon the expression) OC. Does Lá belong to the Irish for both communities camp or does it belong to the
‘Every word of Irish spoken is like another bullet being fired in the struggle for Irish freedom.’ camp ?

The newspaper has an avowedly unionist columnist, regularly has on the record comments from the likes of Jeffrey Donaldson and co and last week featured an interview with the Reverend Eric Culbertson, an Orangeman, a "Black" man and a Gaeilgeoir.
I think it's approach is Irish for all - not just the two communities in the north but for all on this island and beyond who're interested in the Irish language

What's with the copyright symbol?

Is it a problem on my side or Mick's side? Do I need to download a font?

Willow
"What's with the copyright symbol?" "Is it a problem on my side or Mick's side?"

It's a typekey and/or Slugger problem. The é in Oilbhéar (Oliver) is getting converted into é.

Davros
"And what is the cover price of Lá ? Is it too dear for it's target market ?"

50p/80c for 12 pages.
Cheaper by subscription.

Thanks Maca. Have you read it ?

Davros
Every time i'm home I buy it almost daily. Can be hard to find at times, few shops stock it.

Great - can you give us an opinion as to whether it's content would offend or unsettle a Unionist ?

OC.

I have looked at Lá a lot, would you accept that the international news section has an obsession with the suffering of the palestinian people?

This newspaper article reaffirms the facts that I pointed out last week. Lá *are not* having their funding cut by Foras and their financial problems are nothing to do with Hermon/ Laird.

I now have a suspicion as to why Lá are distorting these facts:

The Andersonstown News Group has to date subsidised Lá (or 'covered its losses')

Once they launch Daily Ireland they won't be able to afford this any more.

Therefore Lá needs more money from elsewhere, or it will suffer (another) cut in size/ content/ quality.

The ATN staff are desperately trying to find someone else to blame other than their own organisation.

OC, address the problems, don't let them play on your predujice..

I don't think I have any problem with prejudice - not compared to the guff you've come up with.

The fact is the British Government have committed under the European Charter to supporting an irish language newspaper. That would not be considered (by the COE experts) fulfilled if a daily newspaper in NI (lá) wasn't being supported.

Why should the A'Town News subsidise Lá when it's the obligation of the British Government via Foras na Gaeilge to do so?

The Daily Ireland issue which you raised is an interesting point. I do think that this is an attempt by Laird and Co to derail Daily Ireland by asking questions about Lá's funding - which is perfectly above board and accounted for.

Lá has presented a true picture of what's happening and why it's happening. It is others who are distorting the facts, none more so than the Sunday Independent which is an avowedly anti Irish language newspaper.

I have also read Lá a great deal and wonder whether it is a capital crime to follow a news story such as the plight of the Palestinian people - one of the big news stories in a global context. I don't think you can describe the coverage as unbalance or particularly favouring one side above the other.

The point you make says more about your own political prejudices than it does about Lá which has an independent editorial line - ie it doesn't swallow the guff of government spin doctors like the mainstream press.

Davros
"Great - can you give us an opinion as to whether it's content would offend or unsettle a Unionist ?"

I wouldn't be able to Dav.
To start with the Irish is very advanced, beyond my level. And anyway i always start with the sports, learners section & generally flick through the Northern news. I use it for the Irish rather than for the news. ;)
It does seem to be a tad nationalist to me but I don't know if that's just because most Irish speakers they can interview are nationalist???

There's generally a good mix of topics covered including international news so I don't think a unionist can find too many problems with it. Indeed some of the content (anything connecting politics with the Irish language) offends me as much as it might you.

Cheers :)
Interestingly enough the irish news has stepped up it's Irish content significantly ! Coincidence ?

OC

As I have said before the obligation under the Charter could be fulfilled any number of ways, and additionally it is not a legal obligation (in that you couldn't challenge a funding cut in a domestic court to reverse it).

EG Foras funds Foinse, which is sold in NI. Therefore the UK Government is supporting 2 Irish Newspapers at the moment.

I imagine that the ATN newsgroup have their reasons for running Lá as a loss leader- maybe they thought they'd make a profit in the future (but have changed their minds), maybe it's to show they're doing their bit for their people's culture, I don't know. But they have in the past. It was Lá that wanted to go daily remember, they weren't asked to by anyone..

Davros/ Maca
My point about the Palestinians is that the news does focus on things of interest to the Republican worldview. Having said that as OC points out it is still worthy news reported straight.. I'm sure media studies students have ways to examine these things. And I only see translations anyway!

maca:

simple test- what phrase does Lá use for 'Northern Ireland':

the north of Ireland
the six counties
bad

Northern Ireland
good

;)

IDM : I don't have a problem with a paper focussing on the plight of the Palestinians. But if Lá was like an Phoblacht, I would say it was damaging the Language cause rather than helping it.

From Today's Irish News

Taoiseach hails Irish language initiative

By Robert McMillen Irish Language Editor

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has given his unqualified support to a new Irish language initiative starting today in the Irish News.

The new initiative involves the inclusion of a dedicated Irish language page in the Monday to Friday editions of the paper.

In a letter addressed to the paper’s editor and to Irish News readers, the Taoiseach, writing in Irish, said he welcomed the new development.

“A Eagarthóir agus léitheoirí an Irish News,” he wrote.

“Ba mhaith liom gach dea-ghuí a ghabháil leis na leathanaigh nua Gaeilge san Irish News. Táim cinnte gur cúis mhór bhróid agus sásaimh do lucht na Gaeilge sa Tuaisceart, agus ar fud na hÉireann, go bhfuil leathanach Gaeilge le fáil san Irish News,” the Taoiseach wrote.

“Dear Editor and readers of the Irish News. I would like to send my best wishes for success to the Irish language pages of the Irish News. I’m sure it will be a great source of pride and satisfaction to Irish speakers in the north and throughout Ireland that there will be a page in Irish in the Irish News.”

The Taoiseach went on to salute the paper's ongoing commitment to the Irish language.

“Fáiltím roimh an bhforbairt seo, agus táim cinnte go n-éireoidh thar barr leis,” he wrote. “Tá an teanga mar chuid lárnach do chultúr agus d’aitheantas mhuintir na hÉireann, agus tá daoine ó thuaidh agus ó dheas ag obair chun an teanga a threisiú,” he wrote.

“I welcome this development and I’m sure that it will meet with great success.

“The language plays a central role in the culture and identity of Irish people and many, north and south, are working to strengthen the position of the language.”

Mr Ahern ended by wishing the language pages a long future.

“Táim dóchasach go gcuirfidh an leathanach nua Gaeilge san Irish News go mór le saol na Gaeilge sa todhchaí, agus guím gach rath air,” he wrote.

“I am hopeful that these new Irish language pages in the Irish News will contribute greatly to the language in the future and I wish it every success.”

The new page, An tEolas is a progression from the regular Monday column.

I'll e mail you a sample page Maca, and if anybody else wants to see a copy, I'll happily oblige.

In terms of the British funding Foinse, which is based in the south, that does not fulfill the Charter funding guideline merely because it is sold in the north. The specific requirement is mentioned on another thread and I can retrieve it if you're unable to find it.

Anyone who reads Lá will see the north referred to in a number of ways - Tuaisceart Éireann, Tuaisceart na hÉireann, na sé contae, an tuaisceart - depending on who's speaking or writing. So your simplistic test fails on the grounds that the paper observes strict journalistic standards. I have not read "Londonderry" or "Northern Ireland" being put in the mouths of SF spokespeople anymore than I have read the Occupied Six Counties in the mouths of Jeffrey Donaldson.

The Irish News Irish page is welcome though it is basically a rehash of what' was already in Foinse. A grant aid by the back door. It seems to me to be coincidental that it's coming out in advance of Daily Ireland - perhaps this is the Irish News trying to reclaim lost green ground....

Basically it seems to me that I Dunno Myself and Davros are very keen to see the back of Lá. Perhaps they will but they will be the poorer for it - and so will the Irish public.

Here's a challenge to them: What would they prefer to see the money - the £170,000 that Lá got last year from the Foras - being spent on in the Ulster Scots side? Would they like to see a daily US newspaper?

IDM

"the north of Ireland
the six counties
Northern Ireland"

None of the above, being an Irish paper it uses "Tuaisceart na hÉireann" :-p

"My point about the Palestinians is that the news does focus on things of interest to the Republican worldview"

I don't think Palestinians are of interest to just Republicans. They should be of interest to us all.
But I understand what you're trying to say.

Thanks Davros!

OC

I am confident that the ComEx would accept that paying for a paper to be printed in Irish and allowing it to be distributed in NI would cover the obligation. perhaps you would like to quote something for your case? perhaps a comment on another countries ComEx report? perhaps some of the explanatory report? I am familiar with all of these..

Having said that I don't think the NI Civil Service, who are working hard to support Irish these days, would like to lose Lá. It looks good that the North is ahead of the South when it comes to supporting Irish culture!

and ;) means it was a joke, although maca as always is one step ahead..

Actually in my experience they use various forms (in Irish), but in editorial and their journalist's prose they tend to use 'the north'. So that's a Green marker- if you're the obsessive type.

You seem determined to paint me into some sort of tribal corner.. I am quite happy for my tax money to be spent supporting Lá. I think it's a good thing to spend money on. Some day I might even learn to read it!

OC, you are jumping to conclusions. I am deeply suspicious of anything to do with the ATN, but apart from asking for details as to cost and content....

IDM
"Actually in my experience they use various forms (in Irish), but in editorial and their journalist's prose they tend to use 'the north'. So that's a Green marker- if you're the obsessive type."

True, i'´ve even seen "na Sé Chontae"
But you would want to be an obsessive type to notice that ;)

Maybe this new Blog in Ulster-Scots, discussing contemporary Northern Ireland affairs, could get some funding.

hmm..

blasphmy, ultra convervative, heavy use of the word fenian and germanic construction that my fonts can't always cope with..

I wonder who could be responsible..

Didn't know ye used the 'Swedish O' in U-Scots: Å ?? Not to mention ä, Þ, æ or ü. Are they a normal part of the langulect?

...as an Telly inniu...

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=590605

Ulster Scots agency facing spending rap

By David Gordon

07 December 2004

THE taxpayer-funded body that promotes the Ulster Scots language is facing an official rap over past shortcomings in spending controls.

The Belfast Telegraph has learned details of highly confidential audit investigations into the Ulster-Scots Agency's first year of operations.

Its accounts for 2000 are expected to be criticised in a report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office, the province's independent public spending watchdog.

The agency's chief funder, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), today stressed that proper financial controls are now in place.

Sensitive documentation leaked to this newspaper has revealed:

A Government audit probe of the Ulster Scots Agency was initiated in April 2001.

This in-house team was highly critical of the organisation's expenditure controls.

The Northern Ireland Audit Office has decided to "qualify" the body's accounts for 2000 which means the watchdog is unable to formally approve the accounts.

Issues examined by the internal Government auditors included the administration of agency grants to other organisations, as well as consultancy spending and the use of an agency credit card.

There were no allegations of card misuse, although a need for more detailed supporting records on some expenditure was highlighted. The agency ceased its credit card use in July 2001.

The Government audit team also cited a number of examples of people being flown to London, at the agency's expense, for meetings with agency chairman Lord Laird.

It also stated the agency had lacked policies on the appropriate use of taxis and had no written guidelines on hospitality spending until August 2001.

Agency supporters stress the audit inquiries relate to its initial months, when it was being established with no permanent staff.

In a statement, the agency said: "The Ulster-Scots Agency is not in a position to comment on the Audit Report for 2000 until the Language Body Accounts for 2000 are laid in the respective legislative Houses in London and Dublin as required by law. However, the agency is confident that its financial procedures meet with Government accounting standards."

A DCAL spokesman today said: "DCAL is satisfied that proper controls are now in place at the agency on such issues as hospitality, taxi use, consultancy spending, credit card use, etc."

An Audit Office spokesman said: "We do not comment on reports prior to them being presented to Parliament."

I blew the whistle, reveals Laird

The past chairman of the Ulster Scots Agency today said he had been the "whistleblower" over the body's financial controls.

Lord Laird disclosed he had officially complained to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) in 2001 about issues at the agency.

The Ulster Unionist peer also defended the organisation on some of the expenditure areas looked at by Government auditors.

Stressing that he was not in charge of the day-to-day running of the body, Lord Laird said: "I'm the guy who blew the whistle. I complained in writing to the Department in April 2001.

"I'm pleased this is now being revealed, as I intend to scrutinise these matters myself."

The Ulster peer accused DCAL of inadequate support for the organisation.

"If something is outside the rules of civil servants, that's a matter for civil servants to point out to me," he said.

Dealing with specific points raised in the audit probe, Lord Laird said he could recall the two people making trips over to London for meetings with him.

One of these was the agency's interim-chief executive for 2000/01, John Hegarty, he stated.

Lord Laird said hospitality spending - also examined by auditors - was necessary to raise the agency's profile.

On taxi use, the peer said the agency had paid for taxis to take him to official events and wait at venues for his return journeys.

"I used to go round the countryside dressed in my kilt. If I go to Newry, for instance, which I did on a number of occasions, do I park my car a distance away from the hall and walk in my kilt to the hall? That would be drawing attention to my car.

"Instead of taking mileage, I simply requested that they provided me with a taxi."

The peer also said he had "hardly ever" used the agency's credit card.

Lord Laird resigned as agency chairman earlier this year, alleging that its funding was being squeezed.

Its former interim chief executive John Hegarty could not be contacted for comment.

The agency's current chief executive, George Patton, became its first permanent employee on his appointment last year. He had no involvement in the previous matters examined by auditors.

Surely Å is Norwegian, rather than Swedish, maca?

nah Maca, it's a fairly transparent hoax

YF - Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, all come from the same really. We call it a "Swedish O"

IDM - I was thinking someone had taken this revival thing to a whole new level and created a US alphabet. ;)
We'd have to bring back the Gaelic script to get one back on them ;))

What about Ogham, maca?

I prefer Condor YF ;)

No way, mate, it cuts the throat off you.

Not supposed to inhale !

What about ogham YF? Don't think they had a Å ;)

Lá will hold a public meeting at the Cúlturlann (Falls Road, Belfast) on Tuesday evening (14th Dec., 7:30 pm)

http://www.nuacht.com/story/?cat_id=1&newsid=8399

Dúshlán dlí le tabhairt faoi chiorruithe Lá

Tá iar-Uachtarán Chonradh na Gaeilge, Séagh Mac Siurdáin, sásta dul chun na cúirte chun airgead na Gaeilge a chosaint ó ionsaithe aontachtaithe, thug sé le fios inné do Lá.
Dar leis an Uasal Mac Siurdáin, a bhí ina uachtarán ar an Chonradh go dtí mí Aibreáin seo caite, níl an bhagairt ar mhaoiniú Lá de bharr brú pholaitiúil tionscanta ag an Tiarna Laird agus an Bhantiarna Sylvia Hermon, níl sí ach ina túsphointe.
Dar leis, dá n-éireodh leis an ionsaí polaitiúil ar mhaoiniú Lá, go mbeadh impleachtaí tromchúiseacha aige don dóigh a dtugann Foras na Gaeilge tacaíocht d’fhiontair theanga fud fad na tíre.
“Mar shampla, déanann Foras na Gaeilge urraíocht ar Ros na Rún – nach mbeadh a leithéid sin i mbaol dá n-éireodh leis an bhrú polaitiúil ar mhaoiniú Lá an tacaíocht sin a chur i mbaol?
“Nílimse sásta mar cháiníocóir go mbeadh airgead atá á infheistiú sa Ghaeilge á bhaint den teanga is á thabhairt do teanga nach ann di,” arsa sé, ag tagairt don éileamh ón Tiarna Laird go mbeadh an maoiniú céanna ag Albainis Uladh agus atá ag an Ghaeilge.
Dúirt sé go mbeadh sé sásta dul chun na cúirte chun an cas sin a throid dá mba ghá é agus thug sé le fios go mbeadh sé sásta fosta dá dtiocfadh daoine eile ó na Gaeltachtaí éagsúla ar bord leis san iarracht sin.
Inné, fosta, tugadh le fios go mbeadh Conradh na Gaeilge ag plé a ndearcaidh i leith na gciorruithe atá á mbagairt ar an nuachtán laethúil Gaeilge ag cruinniú de choiste gnó an Chonartha, ar an Satharn beag seo.
Léiriú eile go bhfuil dlús á chur leis an fheachtas teacht i gcabhair ar Lá, a d’fhógair, an tseachtain seo caite, nach bhfoilseofaí an nuachtán ach ceithre lá na seachtaine agus go mbeadh beirt den fhoireann, ar a laghad, á ligean chun bealaigh de bharr dhá iarratas maoinithe, ceann chuig Interreg agus ceann eile chuig Foras na Gaeilge, a bheith curtha ar an mhéar fhada de bharr brú pholaitiúil ó na hAontachtaithe.
Tá cruinniú poiblí faoin ghéarchéim ag Lá ag eascairt as an bhrú polaitiúil seo á reachtáil ag scátheagras na Gaeilge ó thuaidh, Pobal, ar an Mháirt seo chugainn, 14 Nollaig, i gCultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich ag 7.30in.

http://www.petitiononline.com/32130966/petition.html