Lack of Irish translators may delay full working EU status for Irish language -Mary Lou McDonald
Sinn Féin National Chairperson and MEP for Dublin Mary Lou McDonald has
today
questioned whether the Government has fully prepared for the
introduction
of Irish as a full working language of the European Union in
January
2007.
Ms McDonald made her comments after a meeting was arranged
in the European
Parliament between Irish MEPs and European officials
where it emerged that
EU officials recommended the deferment of full
implementation of the
language due to a lack of Irish interpreters.
Speaking
today Ms McDonald said:
"The meeting sought to explore the
practicalities of introducing the
language as a full working language
of the European Union. I was shocked
to learn that European officials
were recommending the deferment of full
implementation of the language
due to a lack of Irish interpreters.
European officials also made it
clear that it was the responsibility of
the Irish Government to ensure
that people were trained up as interpreters
for Irish language
translation in the EU Parliament.
"I want to ask the government
directly if they are confident that enough
translators are available to
ensure the full implementation of the
language on January 1st 2007. The
Government must now state publicly
whether or not it can meet the
challenge of facilitating the training of
sufficient numbers of
interpreters to meet that date in just over one
year's time. I will be
seeking to raise this issue with the government in
the time ahead
"For
more than 30 years, Irish language campaigners had been lobbying the
Government
to seek full EU working status for the language. It is
unacceptable
that this may now be delayed even further because of
Government failure
to prepare for the introduction of the language in
2007." ENDS