CityLiving: If you want to buy a home in the Galway Gaeltacht, you'll have to pass a Leaving Cert-standard Irish oral exam. Edel Morgan reports

For many stressed out buyers who have to deal with a merry-go-round of mortgage brokers, insurance companies and solicitors before they get approval to buy a property, having to endure a Leaving Cert-style examination to assess their suitability might be enough to tip them over the edge.

Spare a thought for prospective purchasers of apartments and houses reserved for Irish speakers in Galway's Gaeltacht areas who must prove their linguistic mettle before they are allowed buy.

Agus cupla focal Gaeilge will not cut it. Candidates must pass an oral Irish exam of a similar standard to the Leaving Certificate .

According to Albert Comer of Galway County Council, five oral Irish interviews have so far been conducted, with four candidates passing after being deemed sufficiently fluent by the board.

Candidates are not given their result immediately. The result took longer to issue at the beginning because the first ones clashed with holidays, says Mr Comer.

"We're now endeavouring to give results fairly quickly."

The oral interview was introduced following a serious of landmark rulings by An Bord Pleanála on Gaeltacht developments.

These stipulated that a percentage of units in a development - based on census figure on daily Irish use - must be reserved for Irish speakers.

The board's policy on protecting the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht, as underpinned by the Planning and Development act 2000, applies to developments of multiple dwellings for a 15-year period. One-off houses in settlement centres can also be affected.

Two Bord Pleanála rulings have paved the way for future Gaeltacht development - one stating that 60 per cent of a development in Furbo, Co Galway must be designated for Irish speakers and another regarding 75 per cent of a scheme in Ballyferriter, Co Kerry.

While the language clause will affect all Gaeltacht areas, Galway is "a leader in the field" says Mr Comer, and is the first to introduce an oral exam.

Kerry County Council says it has yet to determine how it will determine a buyer's fluency in the language but does not envisage that Kerry County Council will conduct oral interviews."

So far in Galway around 10 residential developments - either under construction or built - are bound by the language clause in areas like Spiddal, Barna and Moycullen.

The developer of a scheme in Claregalway successfully appealed the clause because there are not enough native speakers in the area.

While there have been rumblings that developers may mount a legal challenge to the ruling, a recent report from the Law Reform Committee of the Law society suggests that planning conditions limiting the occupancy of a dwelling to Irish language speakers are legally valid, but says that imposing such conditions over a wide area might be problematic.

Problematic might be an understatement, with Gaeltacht communities divided on the issue.

While Irish language activists have welcomed the ruling, many developers are up in arms and are reluctant to build developments that will be difficult to offload.

Earlier this year a Spiddal developer was forced to slash prices of apartments from €295,000 to €265,000 and €275,000 at the 23-unit development Bruach na h'Abhann development because of a lack of interest from fluent speakers.

According to one estate agent, Gaelgeoiri are often reluctant to buy these units because their market would be restricted to fellow Irish speakers should they sell within 15 years.

Some regard the suggestion that they should prove their proficiency in their native language insulting,

Connemara Cllr Seán O'Tuairisg, FF, says the language clause is having a two-fold effect.

I"it brings down the price of houses but that can also mean reducing prices for locals, so many young couples welcome it.

"The Irish language is under great threat, and it's at a crossroads as to whether it will survive.

"It needs help and protection, with an influx of English speakers, which has upset the balance."