Apply for new Gaelic jobs... in English!
Councillor Jim Crawford
?A CONSULTANT who can’t speak Gaelic has been hired by Bord na Gaidhlig to recruit new staff for the organisation.
The government quango has employed human resources consultant Anne Barke to co-ordinate the recruitment drive.
But applicants for the new posts have been told initial requests for job descriptions should be made in English or bilingually as she will be involved in the initial screening.
Among the posts the she will be trying to fill is a Gaelic language plans officer with a top salary of £30,267.
Other vacancies include early years support workers on salaries of up to £20,405 who will provide information to pre-school groups.
An outspoken critic of spending on Gaelic, Inverness councillor Jim Crawford, described the situation as "farcical".
"Surely with all the money that has been spent on the language there is a Gaelic-speaking recruitment consultant out there," he said.
And the chairman of an organisation which provides grassroots support for children learning the language agreed.
Alasdair Mearns, chairman of TAIC, said it was an unnecessary expense.
Bord na Gaidhlig has been tasked by the Scottish government to ensure public bodies have a Gaelic plan in place. These plans have come under fire because of the cost to the public purse.
The Bord has been accused of shooting themselves in the foot by their latest appointment.
Mr Crawford added: "If Gaelic is so popular and so many people are speaking Gaelic, why do they have to recruit a consultant who can’t even speak the language?
"The other question that has to be asked is are these going to be paid for posts to replace volunteers, and if so, why?
"Every other body is having to cut back on staffing and rely more on the voluntary sector. It’s farcical that the person who would be doing the screening does not have Gaelic."
One Gaelic speaker and a keen supporter of efforts to save the language who alerted the Highland News Group to the situation said: "How can they seriously ask other organisations to implement a language plan if they behave like this?
"It’s another own goal from the board and you have to question if they are the best way to protect Gaelic."
Mr Mearns said TAIC is effectively being taken over by Bord Na Gaidhlig.
He too has questioned the need for a consultant.
"As far as I am aware its the first time they have had a consultant to look after recruitment. It’s unnecessary expense," he stated.
Mr Mearns said he hoped some of the present TAIC staff would secure the early years support posts.
"But the question has to be asked why a public body with all their funding is taking over a voluntary organisation.
"You really question the priorities of where they are targeting spending.
"The present director of the Bord has said there are far too many organisations but it is Bord na Gaidhlig who are the newcomers and this group has grown faster and larger than any of the others.
"If anyone is using up the funding, it’s them.
"I make it clear in principle I’m not against the Gaelic bord but it’s their policies and priorities I question."
The chief executive of Bord na Gaidhlig, John Mackay, said they had not the resources to employ a full-time HR advisor.
He said: "Furthermore, there are no Gaelic-speaking HR advisors available and as some of these posts will first be advertised internally it is better to have some independent person and we are using Anne for these reasons."
He added: "As a result of a review of all Gaelic organisations, we have to look at how we can be more effective and the Bord decided we could not fund TAIC beyond March 2011.
"But we know there is a need for people out there working in communities with young people learning Gaelic and these posts too will be advertised internally initially, so hopefully some people from TAIC will apply."
