A chara, - In the course of his suggestion that immigrants who become proficient in Irish be awarded citizenship immediately, Terry Moylan appears to be using immigrants to make a hideous and facetious insult to the original language of Ireland when asking if fluency in Irish would only add to their "disadvantages" (April 1st).
It seems My Moylan is unaware of iMeasc, a network of such immigrants and Irish-speakers of immigrant background. Having fluent Irish has proven to be of significant practical use to almost all in our network, many of whom work with Irish in a fully professional capacity or run their own businesses almost entirely through Irish.
The fact that some immigrants use Irish in their business signage, though having only a rudimentary knowledge of the language, further shows the respect that immigrants can show for An Ghaeilge.
The recommendation that we be granted citizenship automatically, however, is quite frankly wonderful for those immigrants who live in fear that their potential to benefit Irish society will be severely curtailed or ended altogether due to the transient nature of the work permit system. This can be especially harrowing and frustrating for non-EU Irish-speaking immigrants, a number of whom are members of iMeasc, including its co-founder. Citizenship in exchange for proficiency in Irish could also be an interesting means of promoting the language among immigrants.
Should Mr Moylan seriously wish to engage with the issue of immigrants and their capacity to contribute to the Irish language, we will be delighted to share our experiences with him. - Is mise,
ARIEL KILLICK, Cathaoirleach, iMeasc, South Circular Road, Dublin 8.