A ceremony was held at Government Buildings in Dublin this morning to mark Irish becoming the 21st official language of the European Union.
The director of the European Commission representation in Ireland Martin Territt presented Taoiseach Bertie Ahern the Irish-language logo of the European Union's fiftieth anniversary at the event.
Mr Ahern said Irish now has the "status it deserves" at European level.
The Taoiseach said the Government has worked closely with the European Union to ensure that Irish can be introduced successfully into the day-to-day life of the Union.
"The new EU status for Irish represents a practical step of real importance for the Irish language. It fully complements the Government's wider policy of strong support for the language here at home.
"It reflects the fact that Irish is an essential part of what we are as a people and as a proud member of the European family of nations."