Return of current affairs programme as Gaeilge Fóram 

By Darren J. Prior 

Presented by a Southside native, Irish-language current affairs RTÉ One television programme Fóram is back on air this week after launching in December and taking a one month gap in January.

Fóram is the first Irish language current affairs programme on RTÉ television since Cursaí in 1995 and presenter Caoimhe Ní Laighin speaking to The Southside People said that she is delighted to be back presenting it.  

Caoimhe studied Journalism with Irish in TUD and has an MSc in Business and Technology from DCU and has been working as a news reporter with Nuacht RTÉ and TG4 for the last 16 years.  

According to Caoimhe, Fóram is:  

“A current affairs show in which we talk politics, but also aim to cover strong current affairs stories not directly related to the comings and goings in Dáil Éireann.  

“We have such a large and varied group of Irish speakers in our major cities, as well as in the regions we associate with the Irish language”.  

Asked as to why it has taken so long for RTÉ to recommit to having an Irish-language current affairs progamme on television Caoimhe said:  

“It’s not really my place to answer that. I am definitely not one of the powers that be!  

“RTÉ produces Nuacht for broadcast on RTÉ and on TG4. Of course, we also have the enduring and wonderful Scannal.

“But there was a recognition in RTÉ that the amount of output in Irish had to increase”.  

According to Tuairisc.ie website there are almost 40 Irish-speaking TD’s in the new Dáil so Caoimhe will have a bigger pool of Irish-speaking national politicians to have as guests on her programme than would have been the case in the past.  

According to Caoimhe she and her team value the contributions of all of their guests, both on Fóram and with her regular job as a reporter on Nuacht RTÉ and TG4.  

“The TDs who speak Irish are very, very good at giving us their time” according to Caoimhe.  

“These people know who they are – I don’t want to name names! But we would not be able to function without them. Ok ok….I’ll mention three of them because they are gone now.

“They made a decision not to stand for re-election in 2024. They are Éamon Ó Cuív, Fergus O’Dowd and Bríd Smith. Mo mhíle buíochas libh!”  

Fóram began broadcasting in early December and is back on air this Sunday the 9th February to coincide with regular Dáil business recommencing next week and is broadcast between 10.30-11.00 am on RTÉ One television.  

Guests on the programme to-date have included Southside TD’s Barry Ward, Shane Moynihan and Aengus Ó Snodaigh and also Southside councillors Eoin Ó Broin and Hazel De Nortúin.