Survey finds most people are positive about the Irish language but do not use it.
The research, which was carried out by the Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Amárach Research in 2013, included respondents across the island of Ireland. Over one thousand people were questioned in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
According to the 2011 census, 41 per cent of people in the Republic of Ireland could speak Irish. However, the census findings provide no indication of fluency. The most recent survey uses a scale of fluency ranging from having no Irish at all to native speaker ability. 57 per cent of respondents in the Republic and 17 per cent in Northern Ireland indicated that they had either a basic or advanced grasp of the language. 67 per cent in the Republic and 45 per cent from Northern Ireland indicated a positive attitude towards the language.
Professor Padraig Ó Riagain, a linguistic sociologist, says that if only around 50 per cent of the population is in favour of a bilingual outcome, then the language faces difficulty.
Irish is still not spoken frequently outside of the classroom.
One of the recommendations of the study is that one subject, other than Irish, should be taught through Irish in secondary school.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 7 August 2015. The reporter is Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh.
