Patrick O'Donovan, Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, launches new NEARTÚ network in collaboration with ABAIR at TCD

Knowledge Connection: Advocacy & Access to Speech Technology

ABAIR Irish speech technologies available within access aids

Today, the Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Patrick O'Donovan TD, announced a new network - NEARTÚ - which brings together community groups interested in accessibility technologies for the Irish language. The NEARTÚ network - which stands for Nasc Eolais: Abhchóideacht & Rochtain ar Theicneolaíocht na hUrlabhra (Information Link: Advocacy and Access to Speech Technology) - will work closely with the 'ABAIR' project in Trinity College, Dublin.

The members of the new NEARTÚ network will provide advice on development priorities and on the design and testing of resources and in the coming period a NEARTÚ page will be added to the [external-link www.abair.ie | www.abair.ie ] website to disseminate information among the community about the possibilities that exist for those with disabilities to work through Irish using speech and language technologies. The network aims to address the needs of the Irish-speaking community for information about everything related to the acquisition and use of Irish for those with disabilities as well as providing research-based information about the benefits of bilingualism. The members of this network will participate in the ongoing research and development that is needed.

Already, aids are available on the ABAIR site that provide text-to-speech voices in the various dialects of Irish in access technologies, for example, a screen reader for those with visual disabilities.

The Minister recognised that the establishment of the NEARTÚ network is a significant milestone, and that it fits closely with the goals of the Department's Digital Plan for the Irish language, which places great emphasis on the accessibility needs of people with disabilities. It also corresponds to the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, which was recently ratified by the Irish Government. The Minister congratulates the teams working to provide access to Irish for everyone in the Irish-speaking community.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of State O'Donovan said:

"My Department published a Digital Plan for the Irish Language at the end of last year. That publication sets out a roadmap to ensure that the Irish language will thrive in the digital age in the coming years. The Plan recognises the importance of making Irish language resources more accessible and easier to use, and it also recognises the need for text-to-speech voices in the various dialects of Irish as well as recognised speech systems.

"It is specifically mentioned in the Plan that it is necessary to establish advocacy networks that will guide and support this development of access facilities. The Irish Government recently ratified the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The establishment of the new NEARTÚ network will go towards fulfilling that need."

Trinity's ABAIR research leaders, Neasa Ní Chiaráin and Ailbhe Ní Chasaide, see today's development as an important milestone in forging a partnership between the ABAIR research group and the communities of users who require these technologies for accessibility and communication.

Neasa Ní Chiaráin said:

"Access to Irish speech and language technology for all is a core mission of the ABAIR initiative. We are delighted that this new NEARTÚ network will enable the ABAIR research group to partner with communities of users. This network will ensure Irish speech and language technology developments are appropriate to all users - not only to those for whom Irish is central to their lives, but to everyone who has an interest in the language."

Further to this, Ailbhe Ní Chasaide added:

"ABAIR's speech technologies are the result of the partnership of ABAIR with the language community, which has given, and continues to give so generously of its many voices. This new network will deepen the partnership with the wider community and entail extensive collaboration with specific user groups. We thank the community today for its ongoing support."

Notes for the Editor:

For more information on the NEARTÚ network, please contact Neasa Ní Chiaráin: [email protected]