Former diplomat and candidate for the upcoming Seanad bye-election Ray Bassett has said that granting the Irish language full status as an EU language is a “meaningless gesture” that will be “viewed cynically by the vast majority in Ireland”.
The legislation means that the Irish language is now an official working language in the EU. This means that all EU documents will be translated into Irish.
Speaking to the British Daily Express, Bassett said he believed the legislation would equate to “countless hours working on translating tedious texts” that will “be read by nobody other than the translators themselves. It is essentially a meaningless and expensive gesture”.
Bassett said he is fluent in Irish and is supportive of schemes to promote the language but says the money is wasted here where it could be used more efficiently elsewhere.
“The money could be better employed in real Irish language promotion, such as providing more Irish language schools. There is a growing demand for Irish language education. It could also be used in Gaeltacht [areas] for economic or social development.”
He added: “As a net contributor to the EU Budget, Ireland should be attacking wasteful projects like this, not encouraging them.”
Bassett is a media commentator and former Irish diplomat. He is an outspoken Brexiteer and has called for Ireland to follow the UK in leaving the EU.
He told the Express “It is an expensive example of yet another EU folly and will be viewed cynically by the vast majority in Ireland.”
Several candidates in the bye-election disagreed with Bassett’s view on the status of Irish in the EU. In an email statement to The University Times, Ryan Alberto Ó Giobúin said: “Indicating that translating official documents into Irish is a waste of funds highlights a dismissive attitude toward the language and the people who speak it. As someone from the Connemara Gaeltacht, I am aware that Irish is a daily language for many people. It is only right that as citizens of the EU, EU documents should be available to people in their first language.”
“Increasing exposure to the language, such as by placing it on a par with other languages, demonstrates that this is a living and vibrant language”, Ó Giobúin said. “Viewing it only in financial terms is an example of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
“Irish-language translation work that directly employs many native Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas is, in fact, an effective investment in the economic and social landscape of Gaeltacht communities.”
Speaking to this newspaper, Tom Clonan said: “The EU have made a decision and I think it’s the right one. I think it’s good for Ireland, it’s good for the language, good for our culture and our heritage. We’re unique and we’re different and I think we should celebrate that. And if it’s costly so be it.”
Eoin Barry told The University Times: “A modern European Union will embrace minority languages and cultures. Understanding the unique nature of our diverse Union is crucial to making the European Union responsive to our citizens in the 21st century.”
In a statement to The University Times, Ursula Ní Choill said: “I personally welcome the new status of Irish in the EU. When I was in school I took part in my first ever protest with hundreds of others in the Irish community on 24 April 2004, campaigning for the language’s official status. I was very proud when it was given status then, however it is a shame it took so many years to achieve full status. It is a wonderful thing that Irish is now one of the 24 official languages in the EU. It also demonstrates the multilingualism of the Union and how European Irish is.”
Sadhbh O’Neill told this newspaper: “There is a growing audience for Irish language news and media and new generations of fluent Irish speakers who want to transact business with the State and even EU institutions through Irish. The treatment of Irish as an official EU language gives the language a much needed boost and in practice, that supports Gaeltacht communities who have historically suffered population decline and higher rates of unemployment.”
“There are now also thousands of young people who’ve been educated entirely through Irish”, O’Neill said, “and the EU designation will be a boon to them too”.
“Most EU texts are boring, let’s face it, and will be read by few people anyway. The important thing is that they are there, available for anyone to view and consult on demand, and in all of the official languages of the EU … If money were the only consideration we’d all be doing our European business in German and French. Now that the UK has left the EU even English might not make the cut.”
Gisèle Scanlon said: “I’ve observed how the [Irish] language is pushed to grow when it’s engaged with in a contemporary setting … It’s part of the evolution of the language because if the language is adapting to participate in this new landscape in Europe. The language will grow and adapt to deal with new challenges.”
Scanlon added: “The future is multilingual and those citing English as a more useful language are missing the richness and tradition locked within other languages – the future belongs to those who have two or three languages and the more you learn the easier it becomes to learn.”
Irish was a treaty language when Ireland became a member state in 1973, meaning only EU treaties were translated into Irish. Now, all EU documents, not just treaties, will be translated into Irish.
In 2005 the Irish government applied for Irish to become an official and working language and its request was granted in 2007.
However, a derogation arrangement has been in place since then due to a shortage of translation staff which restricted the amount of material translated into Irish. Now that there are adequate numbers of translation staff, the derogation arrangement has ended.
Update: 03:00pm, January 4th, 2021
This article has been updated to include quotations from other candidates in the bye-election.
Mairead Maguire, Emer Moreau and Jennifer Ní Chiara also contributed reporting to this piece.
