Post by Harry on May 4, 2007 11:36:40 GMT
Ulster-Scots phone not used once
Lord Laird said he was "not in the slightest" bit surprised
A special government voicemail service for phone calls from Ulster-Scots speakers has not been used once in more than three years.
The voicemails allow messages to be left for government departments.
A similar service for Irish language speakers recorded 15 calls over the same three year period.
Lord Laird, former chairman of the Ulster-Scots Agency, said he was "not in the slightest" bit surprised at the revelation.
"I think that this is a simple waste of money," he told the BBC.
He added: "This is simply a case where we have been told that we are getting parity of esteem with the Irish language speakers.
"Therefore, wherever money is spent, wherever resources are spent on the Irish language, we must get exactly the same.
"But I personally think that the whole thing is a waste of money, because there is nobody in Northern Ireland who speaks Irish and cannot speak English, and similarly on the Ulster Scots side."
Lord Laird denied the lack of calls was because there was an insufficient number of people who spoke Ulster Scots.
The Linguistic Operations Branch of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) told the Belfast Telegraph newspaper that a professional translator had been hired for the phone messages received.
The department said no staff costs have been incurred "which specifically relate to the voicemail service".
A department spokesman said: "The facility allows an Irish or Ulster-Scots speaker who wishes to speak to a public servant - who cannot speak either Irish or Ulster-Scots - to leave a message on a voicemail.
"This message is then translated and a reply is normally issued by post.
"The reply may be in the caller's spoken language or English, depending on individual departmental policy."
Lord Laird said he was "not in the slightest" bit surprised
A special government voicemail service for phone calls from Ulster-Scots speakers has not been used once in more than three years.
The voicemails allow messages to be left for government departments.
A similar service for Irish language speakers recorded 15 calls over the same three year period.
Lord Laird, former chairman of the Ulster-Scots Agency, said he was "not in the slightest" bit surprised at the revelation.
"I think that this is a simple waste of money," he told the BBC.
He added: "This is simply a case where we have been told that we are getting parity of esteem with the Irish language speakers.
"Therefore, wherever money is spent, wherever resources are spent on the Irish language, we must get exactly the same.
"But I personally think that the whole thing is a waste of money, because there is nobody in Northern Ireland who speaks Irish and cannot speak English, and similarly on the Ulster Scots side."
Lord Laird denied the lack of calls was because there was an insufficient number of people who spoke Ulster Scots.
The Linguistic Operations Branch of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) told the Belfast Telegraph newspaper that a professional translator had been hired for the phone messages received.
The department said no staff costs have been incurred "which specifically relate to the voicemail service".
A department spokesman said: "The facility allows an Irish or Ulster-Scots speaker who wishes to speak to a public servant - who cannot speak either Irish or Ulster-Scots - to leave a message on a voicemail.
"This message is then translated and a reply is normally issued by post.
"The reply may be in the caller's spoken language or English, depending on individual departmental policy."
