In light of the fact that Pembrokeshire County Council intends to challenge some of the Welsh Language Standards, Cymdeithas yr Iaith has highlighted the fact that two new Welsh schools are to be opened, and questioned what example the Council itself is setting.
The Welsh Language Standards are requirements set on all local authorities by the Welsh language Commissioner.
Bethan Williams, area officer for Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Dyfed said:
"There will be a new Welsh-medium primary school in Tenby, and Welsh-medium secondary school in Haverfordwest over the next few years, but the Council itself has asked not to have to fulfil some basic Welsh Language Standards. What impression does that give? That Welsh is the language of education, but everything in the 'real' world takes place in English.
The Council's reason for not wanting to ensure that their Council twitter stream and press releases are in Welsh is that there are no Welsh speakers in the relevant departments; they also claim that simultaneous translation from English into Welsh cannot be provided in meetings.
Where is the ambition? The Council has an opportunity here to change the language of the Council, gradually. Instead of tackling that challenge the Council is opposing Standards. "
Cymdeithas have a similar message for Ceredigion Council, which intends to challenge the two Standards relating to public meetings and public announcements.
Bethan Williams added:
"We have been calling on Ceredigion County Council, like Carmarthenshire County Council, to move towards working in Welsh for more than twenty years, and all the councils have known for long enough that they will have to comply with the Standards. Why wait until regulations are in place?
"At a recent meeting of the full Council in Ceredigion, one Councillor asked why one document was in English with only a summary in Welsh. The responsible officer and leader of the Council apologised that they had not been translated. The Council should not be translating into Welsh but working in Welsh."