Minister Dermot Ahern announces Official and Working Status for the Irish language in EU: Government Proposal Unanimously Accepted By EU Foreign Ministers

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., has welcomed today's decision by EU Foreign Ministers unanimously to approve the Irish Government's proposal to accord official and working status in the EU to the Irish language. 

“I am very pleased that the Irish language has been accorded official and working status in the European Union.  This affirms at European level the dignity and status of our first official language.  This represents a particularly significant practical step for the Irish language, and complements the Government's wider policy of strong support for the language at home.   I am grateful to our EU partners for their agreement to the Government's proposal,” said Minister Ahern.

The proposal results in a major enhancement of the status of the Irish language in the EU.  It becomes the twenty-first official and working language of the Union. 

Stádas na Gaeilge san Aontas Eorpach

Chuir an tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha, Dermot Ahern, T.D. fáilte roimh chinneadh Airí Gnóthaí Eachtracha an Aontais Eorpaigh (AE) ag an gComhairle Gnóthaí Ginearalta agus Caidrimh Seachtraigh i Lucsamburg inniu glacadh d'aonghuth le moladh Rialtas na hÉireann go dtabharfaí stádas oifigiúil agus oibre don Ghaeilge san Aontas Eorpach.

“Tá an-áthas orm go bhfuil stádas oifigiúil agus oibre tugtha don Ghaeilge san Aontas Eorpach.  Deimhníonn seo ag an leibhéal Eorpach meas agus stádas ár gcéad teanga oifigiúil. Is céim shuntasach phraiticiúil don Ghaeilge í seo, agus cuireann sé le mór-pholasaí tacaíochta láidir don teanga sa bhaile.  Táim buíoch dár bpairtnéirí AE don chomhaontú seo le moladh an Rialtais” a dúirt an tAire Ahern.

Cuirfidh an moladh go mór le stádas na Gaeilge san AE.  Áirítear an Ghaeilge i measc teanga is fiche oibre is oifigiúil de chuid an Aontais.

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Note for editors: 
The Government on 24 November last tabled a proposal in Brussels seeking official and working status in the EU for the Irish language.  To date, Irish has been accorded the status of a Treaty language.  This derives from the fact that the Treaties are in Irish and that in the Treaties Irish is listed as one of the languages in which the text is authentic.   The Government's proposal required the unanimous support of Member States.  The formal adoption of the proposal by the General Affairs and External Relations Council changes the status of Irish to that of an official and working language of the Union. 

The proposal provides that key EU legislation (that adopted jointly by the Council and the European Parliament) will be translated into Irish. This represents - for practical reasons and on a transitional basis - a partial derogation from the practice that would see the institutions of the Union bound to translate all acts into the Irish language.  Under the proposal, the possibility of extending the range of documents to be translated into Irish will be the subject of a review to take place not later than four years after adoption of the current proposal. Interpretation from Irish will also be provided at certain Ministerial meetings as requested.  Certain other practical benefits will also flow from this decision, including Irish being one of the languages taken into account for the purposes of recruitment to the EU institutions.  The proposal is scheduled to take effect from 1 January 2007.  The intervening period is to enable the EU institutions to build the capacity to provide the Irish language services that flow from the Government's proposal.

Nóta d'eagarthóirí:
Chuir an Rialtas moladh faoi bhráid ar an 24 Samhain seo caite sa Bhruiséil ag iarraidh stádas oifigiúil agus oibre don Ghaeilge san Aontas Eorpach.  Go dtí seo tugadh stádas mar theanga chonartha don Ghaeilge.  Tá seo amhlaidh toisc na conarthaí a bheith as Gaeilge agus go bhfuil an Ghaeilge áirithe mar cheann dena teangacha ina bhfuil an téacs barántúil. Bhí aontoilíocht na mBallStát uilig ag teastáil do mholadh seo an Rialtais.  Athraíonn glacadh foirmeáilte moladh seo an Rialtais ag an gComhairle Gnóthaí Ginearalta agus Caidrimh Sheachtraigh stádas na Gaeilge go teanga oifigiúil agus oibre de chuid an Aontais.

Faoin moladh, aistreófar go Gaeilge roinnt áirithe eochair dlíthe an AE (iad sin atá glactha i gcomhpháirt ag an gComhairle agus Pairlimint na hEorpa).  Tá páirt-mhaolú – ar chúinsí praiticiúla agus ar bhonn idirthréimhse - ón gcleachtas a chuireann ceangal ar institiúidí an Aontais achtanna uilig an Aontais a aistriú go Gaeilge.    Faoin moladh, déanfar athbhreithniú nach déanaí ná ceithre bliana tar éis glacadh an mholaidh seo ar an bhféidireacht le réimse na ndoiciméidí a aistreófar go Gaeilge a leathnú.  Cuirfear teangaireacht ón nGaeilge ar fáil ag cruinnithe áirithe Airí ar iarratas.  Eascróidh roinnt bhuntáistí praiticiúla eile ón gcinneadh seo lena n-áirítear an Ghaeilge a thabhairt san áireamh chun críche earcú ag na hinstitiúidí Eorpacha. Tabharfar tús feidhme don mholadh ó 1 Eanáir 2007.  Le linn na h-idirthréimhse, beifear ag cur le cumas na n-institiúidí AE na seirbhísí, a eascraíonn as moladh an Rialtais, a sholáthar.

ENDS+++
13 June 2005
13 Meitheamh 2005