Fiona Hyslop earmarks £100,000 for 'critical' Gaelic development plan

URGENT action is needed to boost the number of Gaelic speakers, MSPs heard yesterday.

Gaelic minister Fiona Hyslop said the language was in a "fragile condition" as she used a Holyrood debate to announce 100,000 of extra funding for initiatives to support the language.

The cash will help provide a second Primary 1 class at Edinburgh's all-Gaelic Tollcross Primary School – where a record 43 youngsters are due to start classes in August – and will help enhance early-years Gaelic provision elsewhere in Scotland.

Ms Hyslop announced the funding as MSPs debated a new plan aiming to increase the number of Scots who speak Gaelic.

The Scottish Government had asked Brd na Gidhlig – the main public body responsible for promoting the language – to come up with a plan to make it more accessible.

The blueprint, published this week, sets out five areas for action: adult learning, education for children up to the age of five, education for youngsters aged five to 18, support for parents, and the promotion of Gaelic.

Ms Hyslop said the plan had been developed as a result of ministers' "desire to create a secure future for Gaelic in Scotland".

She said that teaching the language to youngsters in their early years was critical.

She also used the debate to note the Scottish Government's concern over the BBC Trust delaying its decision on whether the Gaelic channel BBC Alba would be shown on Freeview.