The language of new opportunity

THREE cheers for the Government on their formal request that Irish be made an official EU language. At present the EU has 20 official languages, Irish not included.

On May 1 this year EU law was amended to insert Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Slovene and Maltese (which, like Irish, has approximately 380,000 daily speakers) as official EU languages. EU laws and official documents of general application are translated into the official EU languages. Laws enacted by the Oireachtas must be issued in Irish and English.

Although EU law is directly enforceable in Ireland, the EU up to now was not obliged to issue European laws (except treaties) in Irish.

Whenever job opportunities with EU institutions arise, these are open to EU citizens who have a knowledge of two (or more) official EU languages.

Irish citizens applying for such jobs will no longer be disadvantaged as their knowledge of Irish will no longer be disregarded.

For each official language, the EU engages up to 110 translators and up to 40 interpreters. Now that Irish is also to be included, such employment opportunities will be available for Irish people.

The funding for all this will come from the EU translation budget (which currently costs €2 per person per annum) and to which Ireland contributes in any event. As the influence of the EU in our everyday lives grows, any language, such as Irish, which is excluded from EU business will come under great pressure and its future will be in doubt.

Not every single document will need to be translated into Irish: EU institutions may stipulate in their rules of procedure which official languages are to be used in specific cases.

In practice, the normal day-to-day working languages used, for example, in the European Commission, are English, French and, increasingly, German. Also, relay languages are used in the translation of languages of small nations, for example Maltese, is translated into English and then to Slovene and vice-versa. Such an arrangement will address the practical modalities of translation for Irish.

Language is not merely a means of communication; it is the most vibrant of social bonds. Each language offers a unique perspective on the world, moulds the mind of the speaker and enriches our universal human heritage.

The Irish languages affords us the opportunity to develop a cultural-centred Irish identity beyond colour or creed.

Dáithí Mac Cárthaigh BL

Ráth Chairn

Áth Buí

Co na Mí