Raiméis

What some people have campaigned hard for has finally come true, the EU have today made Irish an official working language of the EU with effect from 2007.
Below is a press release from Dháithí Mac Cárthaigh, Chonradh na Gaeilgereceived via Gaeilge-B…
Edit: Slugger readers have their say … some of the usual suspects with their usual ‘waste of money’ comments.
Edit2: Via Slugger I found ‘Back Seat Drivers’ who gives his view on ths issue as well as some useful infomation. Even though Irish is now a working language we have gone for the ‘slimmed down’ version (like the Maltese) which will cost €3.5million pa. Translation costs for other language cost up to €46 million. Also, in Spain Catalan, Basque and Galician have received improved status:
“Under the agreement, citizens writing to the EU institutions will receive a reply in their own language as well as in Spanish, and EU legislation will be translated into these languages, although it will not have legal value in this version.”

Tar éis chinneadh Chomhairle na nAirí inniu tá an Ghaeilge ina teanga oifigiúil oibre den Aontas Eorpach. Tá 20 teanga oifigiúil oibre eile ag an Aontas. Fáiltíonn Conradh na Gaeilge roimh an gcinneadh stairiúil seo. Thíos tá liosta de na mórimpleachtaí dearfacha, dar le Dáithí Mac Cárthaigh, Uachtarán Chonradh na Gaeilge, a bheidh ag an stádas seo don Ghaeilge.

Tá mór-impleachtaí dearfacha ag an stádas seo do thodhchaí na Gaeilge agus cuirfidh sé lena húsáid.

1. Eiseofar dlíthe an Aontais Eorpaigh i nGaeilge. Ní foláir reachtaíocht na hÉireann a chur amach i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla. Tagann 75% den dlí againne ón Eorap; anois tiocfaidh sé chugainn sa dá theanga oifigiúla againn.

2. Bíonn postanna in institiúidí an AE oscailte do shaoránaigh an Aontais a bhfuil 2 cheann (nó níos mó) de theangacha oifigiúla an AE acu. Is acmhainn anois í an Ghaeilge ar mhargadh fostaíochta na hEorpa.

3. Beidh cead Gaeilge a labhairt i bParlaimint na hEorpa.

4. Fostóidh an tAontas aistreoirí breise agus teangairí breise agus beidh deiseanna fostaíochta ann dá réir do Éireannaigh.

Íocfadh ciste aistriúcháin an AE (a chosnaíonn €3 an duine faoi láthair) as an gcúram agus íocann Éire isteach sa chiste sin pé scéal é.

Cén fáth go mbeidh oiread sin teangacha oifigiúla ag an AE agus cén fáth go mbeadh Gaeilge, le lion réasúnta beag cainteoirí, san áireamh?

Tá an tAontas bunaithe ar éagsúlacht cultúir, rud a fhágann an t-ilteangachas ag croí-lár an Tionscnaimh Eorpaigh. Agus tionchar an Aontais ar ár saol laethúil ag méadú, tá sé riachtanach
dá todhchaí go mbeidh an Ghaeilge in úsáid i ngnóthaí an AE.

Féadfaidh institiúidí an AE a leagan síos ina gcuid rialacha féin cé acu teangacha oifigiúla a mbainfear leas astu i gcásanna áirithe. Ó lá go chéile, is iad gnáth-theangacha oibre Choimisiúin na hEorpa, m.sh., ná Béarla, Fraincis agus úsáid na Gearmáinise ag méadú léi freisin.

Baintear leas as teangacha “droichid” chun teangacha na náisiún beag a aistriú; m.sh. aistrítear Mailtis go Béarla agus ansin go Slóivéinis agus vice versa. Beidh a leithéid de leagan amach oiriúnach don Ghaeilge.

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Following today’s decision of the Council of Ministers Irish is now an official working language of the EU. The Union has 20 other official working language. Conradh na Gaeilge welcomes this historic decision.
Below are a list of the huge implications, according to Dáithí Mac Cárthaigh, Uachtarán Chonradh na Gaeilge, that this official status will have on the Irish language.

This decision has many positive implications for the future of Irish and will encourage its greater use:

1. EU laws and shall be issued in Irish. Irish legislation must be issued in Irish and English. 75% of our law comes from Europe and will now come to us in both our official languages.

2. Whenever job opportunities with EU institutions arise, these are open to EU citizens who can speak 2 (or more) official EU languages. Knowledge of Irish is now an asset in the European jobs market.

3. Irish may be spoken in the European Parliament.

4. The EU shall engage new translators and new interpreters. These employment opportunities will now present for Irish people.

The funding for this will come from the EU translation budget (which currently costs €3 per person) and to which Ireland contributes in any event.

Why should the EU have so many official languages and why should Irish, with relatively few speakers, be included?

The EU is based on a diversity of different cultures, which makes multilingualism essential to the European Project. As the influence of the EU in our everyday lives grows, it is vital for the future of Irish
that it be included in EU business.

EU institutions may stipulate in their rules of procedure which official languages are to be used in specific cases. In practice, the normal day-to-day working languages used, for example, in the European Commission, are English, French and increasingly, German.

Relay languages are used in the translation of languages of small nations; e.g.: Maltese is translated into English and then to Slovene and vice versa. Such an arrangement will address the practical
modalities of translation for Irish.