Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Gaelic Implementation Group will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 28 May 2015 at 10.30 am.

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Michelle Morris

Depute Chief Executive/

Director of Corporate Development

Please note that this meeting will be conducted in Gaelic with simultaneous translation to English.

Business

1. Apologies for Absence

2. Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Good News

4. Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16, Theme 3 “What we will do for Gaelic in the Arts, Media and Heritage" - Implementation Report

There is circulated Report No GIG/2/15 dated 18 May 2015 by the Head of Policy and Reform providing an update on the implementation of Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16 Theme 3, “What we will do for Gaelic in the Arts, Media and Heritage”.

The Group is invited to:-

i. comment on progress in implementing the Arts, Media and Heritage Theme in GLP 12-16;
ii. agree to continue support for high profile activity and engagement for National linguistic and cultural events for the Highlands;
iii. agree continuing engagement with the National Gaelic Arts Strategy;
iv. agree that the Council continues to work with partners to host high profile Gaelic-related arts, media and cultural events in Highland to provide economic benefits within the Council area;
v. agree to maximise the use of the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Residency programme in association with our joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU); and 
vi. agree to work on the MoU between the Council and the Provincial Government of Nova Scotia.

5. FilmG Presentation

Flòraidh Forrest, Programmes Manager at FilmG, will undertake a presentation on the further development of this national initiative, on Highland Schools’ participation and on the recent Film G National Finals Event that took place in Glasgow.

The Group is invited to comment on the Presentation.

6. Celtic Media Festival

There is circulated Report No GIG/3/15 dated 18 May 2015 by the Head of Policy and Reform updating Members of the activities in relation to the 36th Celtic Media Festival (CMF), held in the City, at Eden Court, Inverness from 22nd – 24 April 2015. The CMF was supported by the Highland Council, VisitScotland Conference Bid Fund, Inverness Common Good Fund and Creative Scotland. The CMF was also supported by broadcasters and broadcast authorities from other Celtic nations and Countries who have lesser used indigenous languages.

The Group is invited to comment on the Report and agree that Officers work to attract the CMF back to the Highlands at the earliest opportunity.

7. Gaelic Language Plan Implementation Fund (GLAIF) Projects 2015-16

There is circulated Report No GIG/4/15 dated 14 May 2015 by the Director of Care and Learning providing details on the Gaelic Language Act Implementation Fund (GLAIF) applications submitted to Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnaG) for the 2015 -16 funding period by the Gaelic Team.

GLAIF was established to assist public authorities deliver commitments in their Gaelic Language Plans, and to support the National Gaelic Language Plan. GLAIF has also been used to assist other public authorities in the delivery of projects ahead of their formal notice to produce a Gaelic Language Plan. GLAIF for this financial year 2015-16 closed on 20 April and all applicants will be informed by BnaG of the decision on their applications by the beginning of July 2015.

The Group is invited to comment on the 2015-16 GLAIF Applications submitted by the Council to Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

8. All Staff Gaelic Skills Survey

There is circulated Report No GIG/5/15 dated 16 May 2015 by Head of Policy and Reform providing information on progress in undertaking a Gaelic Skills Survey across Council Services. The Survey is currently scheduled for commencement in September 2015 and is a Statutory commitment in Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16. It will also inform the training and development elements of the “What we will do for Gaelic in the Workplace” Theme in the Council’s Third Gaelic Language Plan, from 2016 onwards.

The Group is invited to comment on progress in undertaking a Gaelic Skills Survey across Council Services, as part of our ongoing Gaelic Language Plan commitments.

9. Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16, Theme 2 “What we will do for Gaelic in Education" - Implementation Report

There is circulated Report No GIG/6/15 dated 13 May 2015 by the Director of Care and Learning providing an update on the implementation of Gaelic Language Plan (GLP) 2012-16 Theme 2 “What we will do for Gaelic in Education”. It provides information on a wide range of local and national level initiatives.

The Group is invited to:-

i. comment on progress in implementing the Education Theme in GLP;
ii. agree to urgently seek to resolve the difficulties around Gaelic Medium provision in the Bettyhill/Tongue area;
iii. agree to continue to press for Local Authority participation in the Gaelic Probationer Allocation Process; and
iv. agree to the updating and publication of all the Gaelic Education statistical data; and the Online Gaelic Education Map.