Mistaken figures on the cost of translations

A point of information: European translation costs amount to €330m per annum according to the European Commission — in total.

So Mr Barry Walsh (Letters, Dec 10) is deluded in thinking that €800m is spent on translating European documents to Irish.

He is also mistaken in thinking that if we revoked the status of Irish as an official language the teaching of Irish to schoolchildren would benefit in any way. Until we challenge the absolute ignorance and misinformation being spouted, the fundamental attitude towards the Irish language as a thorn in the side of our national expenditure and schooling system will remain.

This ignorance will continue to obscure the fact that Irish speakers are citizens of Ireland and Europe with every right to access services in their own language.

For example, I may not be a particularly sporty person myself, but that does not mean I begrudge every cent of my European tax money that funds sporting resources or amenities.

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