Plans for Irish EU presidency lost in translation

Government plans to use the EU presidency as a shop window to promote Ireland are getting lost in translation, with one French journalist refusing to attend.

As part of cost-saving measures, the Government decided not to provide translation services for foreign media.

As a result, at least one journalist has refused the all-expenses paid trip to Ireland for the inauguration of the EU presidency in January as the Government refused to provide him with translation services. Jean Quatremer, a journalist with the French daily newspaper Liberation, denounced the Government for failing to provide translation into Europe’s other working languages.

“Dublin refused to provide [translation], as has always been the practice elsewhere; not even the slightest interpretation for these languages that are on the verge of disappearing, German and French, but which still remain working languages of the European Union, much to the surprise of Irish politicians,” said Mr Quatremer.

When Mr Quatremer asked the Irish authorities why they were not providing translation services, he was told that it was due to the financial crisis.

Irish officials in Brussels said: “We have been in touch with him for the past couple of weeks and we had invited him to join us on the trip in January. He asked if there would be interpretation on the trip.

“We explained to him that there are a number of different reasons, one of which was an issue of costs.”

The Department of the Taoiseach said: “The Irish Presidency is fully committed to multi-lingualism. We will comply fully with the set language rules for formal EU council meetings; we also have our official website in four languages.” The spokesperson said they were committed to trying to keep costs down and present “a more informal ambience”.