The Government’s announcement today that it would seek to end the “derogation” (i.e. lesser status) of Irish in the European Union by 2021 has been met with mixed reaction.
Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Joe McHugh TD, said that Irish was a “working language” of EU institutions but, due to questions of recruitment and resources, a “temporary derogation” had been in place since 2007. However, it was “very important” for the Government that Irish had full working status in the EU and that there was an improved level of services for those who used the language.
To that end, the Government would look for agreement with its EU partners to end the lesser status of Irish and would adopt “an incremental approach” to limiting the “scope” of the derogation by adding extra Irish-language services in the meantime.
They would work with the EU commission and other member states to get the “decision that is needed”. That process would be “challenging,” he said.
Conradh na Gaeilge said that it took “heart” from the Government’s revised aim for the status of Irish and that it was a “triumph”. They were pleased that the Government was “actively” working towards ending the derogation. President of the organisation, Mr Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill, said that they had been calling for the end of the derogation for over 10 years. They were happy that the Government seemed to be focused on achieving “full status for our country’s national language in Europe, and not before time”. It was a “huge milestone” for Irish speakers.
Sinn Féin MEP, Liadh Ní Riada, said that while she welcomed any move that would promote Irish, she was "massively disappointed" with the status quo. Irish had been a full and working language of the EU since 2007 but that status had been lessened since, she said. This meant that there was no obligation on European institutions to provide every document in Irish and that would not change.
She wondered how the Government planned to lessen the scope of the derogation through adding extra services during the period of a new derogation. 188 jobs would be created in the translation sector had Irish its full status, she said.
