When Scottish Government budget cuts threatened Gaelic officer jobs working to save the language spoken in communities, it faced a backlash across the Highlands and Islands.
Now ministers have u-turned and pledged extra cash to protect 27 community officers.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Government cut £354,000 from Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnaG), the national body responsible for promoting Gaelic development, because of “extraordinary financial challenges”.
BnaG said the contracts of two language planning officers and an education manager would not be renewed in the next financial year, as well as 29 Gaelic development officer positions.
Gaelic-speaking communities across the west coast urged ministers to reverse the cut, warning it would lead to job losses and damage the future of the endangered language.
Gaelic campaign group Misneachd Alba explained: “This is a death blow to Gaelic as a living language as spoken in the communities. There will not be a second chance to preserve Gaelic as a spoken vernacular language in Scotland."
In 2020, research showed Tiree was one of the places where the use of Gaelic in the vernacular community had plummeted - leaving Gaelic in Tiree on a knife edge.
Urras Thiriodh (Tiree Community Development Trust) said it was "laughable" for the Scottish Government to "pretend they care about the future of Gaelic" after the cuts jeopardised a project trying to save the language on the island. Two jobs at Urras Thiriodh rely on the scheme.
The funding cut also came as a new Scottish Language Bill, which aims to give official status to Scots and Gaelic and reinforce their use in education and public life, was in its early stages in the Scottish Parliament.
Following the backlash, including from Gaelic-speaking MSP Kate Forbes and MP Angus MacNeil, the Scottish Government promised an initial payment of £175,000 to protect 27 jobs in BnaG’s Gaelic Development Officers Scheme.
"The Scottish Government has asked Bòrd na Gàidhlig to review the scheme and provide a plan for its sustainable operation in future, including support and oversight of the community officers, which will allow ministers to consider further funding to support the scheme," a spokesperson said.
First Minister Humza Yousaf, on a visit to Stornoway, said: “I have been clear about the importance of protecting staff who provide this vital service in our communities. This additional funding will protect these important roles while allowing Bòrd na Gàidhlig to come forward with sustainable options to secure the future of this programme."
Welcoming the u-turn, BnaG’s chief executive Ealasaid MacDonald said: “Bòrd na Gàidhlig has been in communication with the organisations affected and we will continue to work together to ensure the scheme contributes to building the capacity for Gaelic across our communities."
SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar Alasdair Allan welcomed the announcement. “The news of this additional funding, and commitment to ensure these jobs continue being protected for the long-term, will be a great relief to many," he said.
"I thank the Education Secretary for her engagement on this issue and for identifying the necessary funding to extend the development officer contracts, especially at a time when budgets across the board are stretched to their limits.
“The loss of these jobs would have gone against the aims and principles of the new languages bill and would have represented a significant local loss and step back in progress, particularly in rural communities.
"If Gaelic is to continue being used as a community language, work to protect the language’s heartlands needs to be properly funded."
Rhoda Meek, chairwoman of Tiree Development Trust, said: "We welcome the news about the short-term funding and look forward to being able to continue our project to develop the use of Gaelic in Tiree.
"We remain disappointed this critical work is funded by top-ups and would appeal to the government and Bòrd na Gàidhlig to rethink the importance they place on Gaelic in our vernacular communities."
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