The Official Languages Act will only serve to kill the language itself

Most native speakers of Irish probably find the English versions easier to understand, writes Victoria White

WILL Mihai Avadenei save the Irish language? Has the Romanian national who could not be convicted of drink driving because breath test results were not given to him in Irish as well as English done us all a mighty turn? Will his case finally convince us that the Official Languages Act (2003) is killing off what’s left of the Irish language?

The script could have been written by Flann O’Brien. The garda suspects Avadenei of speeding and pulls him over. He smells drink on his breath and brings him to Store Street Garda station where he is breathalysed and the mighty Evidenzer (alcohol test machine) reveals that Avadenei has 50 alcohol microgrammes in his breath, a full 28 microgrammes too many.