State agency forced to apologise in email misuse incident
Sunday July 30 2006
A WORK-experience employee in a State agency is to leave his job after being reprimanded for sending an offensive email from a company address to an internet blog website which had criticised the use of the Irish language.
Udaras na Gaeltachta, the Gaeltacht-area development body with an annual operating budget of €59m, was forced to make an apology to Richard Waghorne, a column writer in Ireland on Sundayand the Daily Mail, who hosts his own online blog.
Mr Waghorne had written: "Irish is about as much a part of our heritage as are famines, which is to say we should keep the memory of it alive and make sure a few specialists know it well, but be glad that in the end it's a part of the past, not the present. While it's correct to say that Irish is a part of our heritage, it's a distinctly unimportant part. There is nothing particular to the Irish language that is essential to valuing Irish heritage.
"By any reasonable definition, there are two aspects to taking one's heritage seriously - history and culture. Neither require Irish. The Irish language is not needed to be more than adequately appraised of Irish history and culture. In fact, approaching each through Irish rather than English puts you at a distinct handicap."
Mr Waghorne received an apology after a work-placement employee, Mr Ultan O hAoadha, responded: "We can do without Waghorne. Go away, and rot, somewhere outside Ireland so your ilk does not pollute any of my Irish Island. Saigh suas do thoin e [stick it up your ass]." Mr Waghorne posted this response on his website. Within hours of the mail being sent, Mr Waghorne received a phone call from a spokeswoman for Udaras, apologising for the incident and saying that he could expect an email from Mr O hAoadha in the coming hours.
A short time after, Mr O hAodha's apology to Mr Waghorne arrived. It began: "Mr Waghorne, a chara, I would like to apologise to you for my previous mail. The sentiments contained were wholly my own and did not in any way express the opinions of Udaras na Gaeltachta." Mr O Hoadha's email went on to say that he was guilty of a misuse of his Udaras na Gaeltachta email account. He apologised for any offence caused. Mr Waghorne posted the apology on his blog.
A spokeswoman for Udaras na Gaeltachta confirmed the incident and reiterated the apology given earlier to Mr Waghorne. She stated that Mr O hAoadha is to leave Udaras within the next few weeks, but insisted his departure is "nothing to do with this incident". Udaras confirmed that the matter was brought to the attention of the body's CEO, Padraig O hAolain, and he ordered the apology.
Commenting on the incident, Mr Waghorne said: "I was taken aback first of all when the first email came in, and I posted it. However, I was contacted by a member of the Udaras staff and was impressed by the speed and the manner in which she dealt with me. I consider the matter closed."
However, later, on the blog, Mr Waghorne concluded with the following statement: "Ultan, it should be noted, was there on work experience and isn't Udaras staff, something I'm happy to pass on.
"I fear his career prospects have not been enhanced, but that's his problem. The Udaras staff I spoke with were exemplary."
