Fury over £250,000 price tag for Gaelic 'Facebook'
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:19 pm
Own goal agus gibht do na nàimhdean nam bheachdsa!
Daily Mail
January 7, 2009
Fury over £250,000 price tag for Gaelic 'Facebook'
MORE than £250,000 of taxpayers' cash is being spent on setting up a
Gaelic version of the Facebook social networking site.
Scottish Executive quango Bòrd na Gàidhlig - the national Gaelic
language board - claims mygaelic.com will help to promote the
historic tongue.
But with the recession leaving thousands of Scots facing a bleak
financial future, the decision to splash public cash on a site that
will be fully understood by only 2 per cent of the population was
last night under fire.
Advocates of mygaelic.com say it will appeal even to those who are
not fluent in the language as it will instantly provide English
translations at the click of a mouse.
However, existing sites - such as Facebook and MySpace - already have
Gaelic users, prompting claims that taxpayers' cash is being wasted
on entertainment for the tiny minority who speak the dying language.
Mark Wallace, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'This is yet another
example of politicians and public servants becoming desperate to jump
on a trendy bandwagon..
This money is urgently needed for serious purposes, like people
paying their household bills, and should never have been squandered
on such a bizarre project.' The website is just the latest in a line
of expensive schemes that sees millions of pounds spent every year
promoting Gaelic, which is spoken by around 60,000 people.
Last September saw the launch of the £11million-a-year Gaelic TV
channel BBC Alba. And ministers agreed to spend £125,000 on Gaelic
signs, leaflets and a version of Holyrood's website in the tongue.
The creator of mygaelic.com, Glasgowbased IT specialist Gillian
Thompson, has spent almost two years on its development.
The 31-year-old, who does not speak a word of the language, said
yesterday: 'Gaelic is an essential part of Scotland and it needs to
be preserved and celebrated.' But North-East Tory MSP Nanette Milne
said the £250,000 price tag 'will leave many people stunned', and
added:
'Not many people will be convinced at all by this, and rightly so.
Questions must be answered.' The site should be online by the end of
the month and there are plans for a lavish launch party in Glasgow's
George Square..
Daily Mail
January 7, 2009
Fury over £250,000 price tag for Gaelic 'Facebook'
MORE than £250,000 of taxpayers' cash is being spent on setting up a
Gaelic version of the Facebook social networking site.
Scottish Executive quango Bòrd na Gàidhlig - the national Gaelic
language board - claims mygaelic.com will help to promote the
historic tongue.
But with the recession leaving thousands of Scots facing a bleak
financial future, the decision to splash public cash on a site that
will be fully understood by only 2 per cent of the population was
last night under fire.
Advocates of mygaelic.com say it will appeal even to those who are
not fluent in the language as it will instantly provide English
translations at the click of a mouse.
However, existing sites - such as Facebook and MySpace - already have
Gaelic users, prompting claims that taxpayers' cash is being wasted
on entertainment for the tiny minority who speak the dying language.
Mark Wallace, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'This is yet another
example of politicians and public servants becoming desperate to jump
on a trendy bandwagon..
This money is urgently needed for serious purposes, like people
paying their household bills, and should never have been squandered
on such a bizarre project.' The website is just the latest in a line
of expensive schemes that sees millions of pounds spent every year
promoting Gaelic, which is spoken by around 60,000 people.
Last September saw the launch of the £11million-a-year Gaelic TV
channel BBC Alba. And ministers agreed to spend £125,000 on Gaelic
signs, leaflets and a version of Holyrood's website in the tongue.
The creator of mygaelic.com, Glasgowbased IT specialist Gillian
Thompson, has spent almost two years on its development.
The 31-year-old, who does not speak a word of the language, said
yesterday: 'Gaelic is an essential part of Scotland and it needs to
be preserved and celebrated.' But North-East Tory MSP Nanette Milne
said the £250,000 price tag 'will leave many people stunned', and
added:
'Not many people will be convinced at all by this, and rightly so.
Questions must be answered.' The site should be online by the end of
the month and there are plans for a lavish launch party in Glasgow's
George Square..
