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Multilingual Europe Technology Alliance

META-NET White Paper Series: Irish

The Irish Language in the Digital Age / An Ghaeilge sa Ré Dhigiteach

Series editors: Georg Rehm, Hans Uszkoreit

Authors

Quotes

  • Donnchadh Mac Fhionnlaoich T.D. (Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta): “Mar Aire Stáit, is cúis áthais agus bhróid dom an páipéar seo a fheiceáil faoin nGaeilge agus teicneolaíocht teanga. Cuireann sé dúshlán nach beag romhainn maidir leis an mbéim a leagann sé ar theicneolaíocht teanga atá saor, ar fáil agus atá fite fuaite le comhthéacsanna bogearra atá níos mó. Léiríonn suíomhanna ar nós logainm.ie agus focal.ie a thábhachtaí is atá an cheist seo i.e. go mbeadh an Ghaeilge agus teangacha eile i lár mhargadh na teicneolaíochta. Braitheann an nuálaíocht ar éagsúlacht, ar dhifríocht agus ar chumarsáid – feictear dom mar sin go bhfuil teangacha fíorthábhachtach sa réimse seo. Mar sin, is léir gur fiú a bhfuil sa pháipéar seo a léamh go cúramach agus machnamh ceart a dhéanamh air.”
  • Dinny McGinley T.D. (Minister of State for the Gaeltacht): “As Minister of State, it is a source of joy and pride for me to see this paper on Irish and language technologies. It confronts us with a significant challenge in the emphasis which it places on language technology that is cheap, available and that is integrated with larger software environments. Sites such as logainm.ie and focal.ie show how important this question is i.e. that Irish and other languages would be in the heart of the technology market place. Innovation depends on diversity, on difference and on communication – it appears to me therefore that languages are of critical importance in this area. This is why it is worthwhile to read this paper carefully and reflect on its contents.”
  • Ferdie Mac an Fhailigh (Príomhfheidhmeannach, Foras na Gaeilge): “Ní rud roghnach í an teangeolaíocht teanga i gcas fhormhór na dteangacha Eorpacha - tá sé lánriachtanach dóibh má tá siad le teacht slán mar mheáin chumarsáide sna réimsí saoil ar fad ón ngnó go dtí na healaíona, agus ní haon eisceacht í an Ghaeilge thar aon teanga Eorpach eile.”
  • Ferdie Mac an Fhailigh (CEO, Foras na Gaeilge): “Language technology is no longer a luxury for most European languages - it is now essential to their survival as viable means of expression across the whole range of areas from business to the arts, and this is as much the case for Irish as any other European language.”
  • Julian De Spainn (Ardrunaí, Conradh na Gaeilge): “Tá teicneolaíochtaí ilteangacha fíorthábhachtach agus beidh siad níos tábhachtaí fós sa todhchaí. Is iontach an tionchar a bhí ag teicneolaíochtaí Idirlín chun daoine óga go háirithe a spreagadh chun an Ghaeilge a úsáid níos minice.”
  • Julian De Spainn (Ardrunaí, Conradh na Gaeilge): “Multilingual technologies are very important and will become more so in the future. It's amazing the impact internet technologies have had to motivate, young people especially, to use the Irish language more.”
  • Julian De Spainn (Ardrunaí, Conradh na Gaeilge): “Is gréasán iontach atá in META-SHARE chun teangacha a chur chun cinn agus a áireamh i gcroílár teicneolaíochtaí nua agus dá bhrí sin cuidíonn siad le claonadh daoine dul i dtreo mórtheangacha na hEorpa, go háirithe an Béarla, a stopadh.”
  • Julian De Spainn (Ardrunaí, Conradh na Gaeilge): “META-SHARE is a great network to promote and include languages in the heart of new technologies and in so doing help fight the tendency of people to gravitate towards the major and dominant European languages, especially English.”
  • Julian De Spainn (Ardrunaí, Conradh na Gaeilge): “Bheadh sé dochreidte dá bhféadfaí ardán ilteangach a fhorbairt, a éascódh úsáid gach teanga Eorpach, trí úsáid a bhaint as teicneolaíocht.”
  • Julian De Spainn (Ardrunaí, Conradh na Gaeilge): “It would be amazing if through the use of technology a multilingual platform can be developed that can facilitate the use of all European languages.”

This Volume

The Series

Preface

This white paper is part of a series that promotes knowledge about language technology and its potential. It addresses journalists, politicians, language communities, educators and others. The availability and use of language technology in Europe varies between languages. Consequently, the actions that are required to further support research and development of language technologies also differ. The required actions depend on many factors, such as the complexity of a given language and the size of its community.

META-NET, a Network of Excellence funded by the European Commission, has conducted an analysis of current language resources and technologies in this white paper series. The analysis focuses on the 23 official European languages as well as other important national and regional languages in Europe. The results of this analysis suggest that there are tremendous deficits in technology support and significant research gaps for each language. The given detailed expert analysis and assessment of the current situation will help maximise the impact of future research.

As of November 2011, META-NET consists of 54 research centres in 33 European countries. META-NET is working with stakeholders from economy (software companies, technology providers and users), government agencies, research organisations, non-governmental organisations, language communities and European universities. Together with these communities, META-NET is creating a common technology vision and strategic research agenda for multilingual Europe 2020.

Réamhrá

Tá an páipéar bán seo mar chuid de shraith a chuireann chun cinn faisnéis maidir le teicneolaíocht teanga agus a cumas. Díríonn sé ar oideachasóirí, iriseoirí, polaiteoirí, pobail teanga agus daoine eile.

Tá difríochtaí idir infhaighteacht agus úsáid teicneolaíocht teanga san Eoraip ó theanga go teanga. Dá bhrí sin, ní hionann na gníomhaíochtaí a theastaíonn chun tuilleadh tacaíochta a thabhairt do thaighde agus forbairt teicneolaíochtaí teanga i ngach teanga. Braitheann na gníomhaíochtaí a theastaíonn ar go leor tosca, cosúil le castacht na teanga agus méid a pobail.

Tá anailís déanta ag META-NET, Gréasán Sármhaitheasa arna mhaoiniú ag Coimisiún na hEorpa, ar na hacmhainní agus teicneolaíochtaí teanga reatha. Dhírigh an anailís seo ar na 23 teanga oifigiúil Eorpach mar aon le teangacha náisiúnta agus réigiúnacha tábhachtacha eile san Eoraip. Tugann torthaí na hanailíse seo le fios go bhfuil bearnaí taighde suntasacha i ngach teanga. Cuideoidh anailís agus measúnú saineolach níos mionsonraithe ar an gcás reatha le tionchar taighde bhreise a uasmhéadú agus na rioscaí a íoslaghdú.

Tá 54 ionad taighde as 33 tír i META-NET atá ag oibriú le geallsealbhóirí ó ghnólachtaí tráchtála, gníomhaireachtaí rialtais, tionscal, eagraíochtaí taighde, cuideachtaí bogearraí, soláthraithe teicneolaíochta agus ollscoileanna san Eoraip. Le chéile, tá siad ag cruthú comhfhís teicneolaíochta agus ag forbairt clár taighde straitéiseach a léiríonn an chaoi gur féidir le feidhmchláir teicneolaíochta teanga dul i ngleic le bearna i dtaighde faoi 2020.