Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1988 > Committee on the Irish Language (2nd Committee) > Report No. 02 - Recommendations regarding the promotion of the Irish language in the Houses of the Oireachtas and within the Political Parties

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1.1 It has been said frequently that a good start is half the work and there is credence to this in relation to the promotion of the Irish language in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The start in question here is the excellent work carried out by the Joint Committee on the Irish Language, which functioned in the 24th Dáil as regards:

(a)the publication of worth-while reports;

(b)giving good example regarding the use of Irish; and

(c)the will to act rather than to preach.

1.2.1 In this report the Joint Committee on the Irish Language proposes to look back on the work carried out by the Committee which was acting prior to it and to analyse the recommendations made and the results achieved (and not achieved). Emphasis will be laid on the work carried out regarding the promotion of the Irish language in the Houses of the Oireachtas as the Joint Committee views that as a priority. In addition to that the Joint Committee will be making recommendations of its own on this issue and on the role of the Political Parties in relation to the Irish language.

1.3.1 It would be slightly dis-honest for the Joint Committee not to mention at the beginning of this report that the members are not happy with the progress — or lack of it, perhaps — regarding the implementation of recommendations made prior to this. The report will contain strong views on this question and perhaps these will not appeal to certain people: be that as it may, the Joint Committee stands by them.

1.3.2 In the view of the Joint Committee, it is important that it be understood clearly from the outset that no effort is being made to force Irish on anyone and that this will not be done as it could alienate those who would be favourably disposed towards the language. Despite this, however, Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas must take steps in relation to the Irish language because it is part of their duty to show leadership to the population in general. Accordingly, although the Joint Committee is not disposed to force Irish on Members of both Houses in particular, it is felt strongly that these must accept responsibility and perform their obligation conscientiously and diligently. If the Irish language is to achieve the place it deserves in the Houses of the Oireachtas no lesser step is acceptable.

1.4.1 From the reports published by the Committee which was functioning in the 24th Dáil it will be clear that the members had a practical outlook on their work. The Joint Committee is in agreement with this view and it is proposed to continue on the same lines in this report.

1.5.1 Finally, the members wish to thank the Clerk to the Joint Committee Seosamh Ó Riain and his assistant Áine Ní Shomacháin for their help in the preparation of this report.

2. THE WORK OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE IRISH LANGUAGE IN THE 24TH DÁIL REGARDING THE PROMOTION OF IRISH IN THE HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS

2.1.1 It must be stated at the outset that the Joint Committee on the Irish Language in the 24th Dáil did not begin to function until 29 May 1985 i.e. much later that the other Committees functioning in that Dáil, and that it did not have much time because of this to conduct substantial business. Despite this the Committee met on 37 occasions and published three reports. This was a tremendous achievement, undoubtedly, and the Joint Committee applauds the members of the Committee for their earnestness and diligence.

2.2.1 One trait which the Committee displayed from the outset was a willingness to work and to act. The Committee was only in existence for 6 weeks when its first report was published. That was really a preliminary report and although it was quite short it none the less laid the foundation for the considerable work to be done.

2.2.2 From the reports published by the Committee it is abundantly clear that the members wished to adopt practical steps. They displayed this by concentrating on the provision of basic requirements which were lacking and by adopting steps which were simple and quickly attainable. This was absolutely essential because it is clear that the standing and use of Irish in the Houses of the Oireachtas and in the environs of both Houses had suffered a major decline for a long time.

2.2.3 The poor state of the Irish language in the Houses of the Oireachtas was of concern to many people indeed and the Committee decided, accordingly, to act on that question. This was in keeping with the first term of reference which was:

“the extension of the use of Irish in the proceedings of the Dáil and Seanad and in the environs of both Houses”.

2.2.4 The work carried out by the Committee and the results which it achieved (and did not achieve) will be examined in detail hereinafter. Before doing that, however, it must be said that that Committee did one thing which was extremely important above all else — it managed to put the Irish language before the Members and staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas —— something which had not been done before, but which was sorely needed.

2.3.1 In the Annual Report which that Committee published on 16 July 1986 the following interesting summary of the difficulties faced by it in its work was given, viz:

“If the difficulties which affected the work of the Joint Committee could be described in one word, there is no doubt but that the word “delay” would be chosen”.

As will be clear from what follows it seems that plenty of other difficulties had to be overcome also.

2.3.2 Although that Committee was empowered to take evidence in public members were not in a position to do so for some time because reporters were unavailable to undertake that work. That difficulty was overcome but the recordings of evidence, taken from October 1985 onwards, were left with nothing done about them for some months because staff was not available to prepare transcripts.

2.3.3 Due to continuous pressure from the Committee the Authorities of the Houses succeeded in hiring staff, on a fee basis, to prepare the transcripts and gradually a satisfactory method of dealing with this evolved. Although the difficulties mentioned were overcome eventually it will be appreciated that the delay and the necessity for constant pressure did not help the Committee in its business.

2.3.4 Whilst the Committee received great co-operation from all of those dealing with it, it is clear that the members were a little disappointed with the amount that other Members of both Houses were prepared to do about the Irish language and its promotion. It is not clear that the required attention amongst Members, was paid to the recommendations made regarding Parliamentary Questions, speeches, etc. and the worthwhile result which the members expected was not to be seen. Certain progress was made but this was not adequate and in retrospect, it is clear that a more substantial and more continuous effort is required from every Member of both Houses if a lasting, worthwhile result is to be achieved.

2.3.5 To summarise the difficulties which beset that Committee it has to be said that, clearly, many basic deficiencies existed in the systems in operation in the Houses of the Oireachtas insofar as the Irish language was concerned. An Irish atmosphere was not discernable, services were not geared towards dealing thoroughly with work in Irish and a sense of direction was required. There is no doubt but that the Committee gave the necessary direction as will be clear from the following.

2.4.1 Perhaps it is not entirely accurate to say that Irish was in a poor state in the Houses of the Oireachtas when the Committee commenced its business, but it may be stated with certainty that it was not as alive and as vigorous as would have been expected. Any progress made must be viewed from that perspective and this will be done below.

2.4.2 In the first report, published by the Committee on 17 July 1985, the members emphasised particularly:

(a)the speaking of Irish; and

(b)clear recognition for Irish

in both Houses and they mentioned the importance attached to the creation of a more Irish atmosphere in both Houses. They defined “atmosphere” in the second report, published on 24 April 1986, and this is worth mentioning here again, viz:

“(a)that the Irish language would be heard being spoken naturally by Members and staff of the Houses in their business and in their social contact; and

(b)that the Irish language would be seen widely in the notices, signs, emblems and all documents used in the Houses.”

2.4.3 As regards the Irish language being heard the situation has improved. There is more interest in Irish than formerly and it is being spoken more frequently and more openly. Although this progress is welcome one must be realistic and acknowledge that that is only the beginning: the amount of Irish being spoken must be increased substantially —— particularly in the work of the Houses. This issue will be addressed further below.

2.4.4 In relation to a greater prominence being given to Irish a lot has been achieved and the thanks for this must be attributed to the Committee because they took issue about the basic deficiencies which existed.

2.4.5 Soon after the Committee commenced its business they decided to seek the views of the Members of both Houses regarding the promotion of the Irish language therein. The Committee had the following to say in the second report published, viz:

“the Joint Committee is disappointed at the number of Members who responded”.

2.4.6 Despite what is mentioned above it appears that the Members of the Committee were satisfied enough with the recommendations which they received and the principal one was that teaching facilities be provided for Members of both Houses to assist them to practise Irish. Following a lot of correspondence and discussions the following facilities were provided in November 1986, viz:

(a)instructional tapes at basic, middle and higher levels together with a series of books; and

(b)Room 114 in Leinster House to be available to Members — when it would not be required for meetings of Oireachtas Committees —— as a location where they could practise their Irish.

2.4.7 Another recommendation made by some Members was that a book of expressions, which would be in frequent usage in the Houses, be provided. This matter was taken up with An Ceann Comhairle and in November 1986 a new edition of a bilingual hand-book of phrases used regularly in the work of the Houses was provided. A copy of that hand-book was distributed to every Member of both Houses.

2.4.8 Certain members of the Committee were very concerned regarding the lack of publicity afforded in the media, as a general rule, to speeches delivered through Irish in both Houses. In order to tease out this difficulty an informal meeting was held with representatives of the Oireachtas Press Gallery Committee and some time after that the Committee met with the editors of the national newspapers (or other representatives) together with the head of news in R.T.É. These were worthwhile meetings apparently, and the Committee was satisfied after them that the media had a more comprehensive understanding and knowledge regarding the difficulty mentioned above; obviously the Committee also had a deeper understanding of the difficulties faced by the media.

2.5.1 Although it is clear that the Committee made not insignificant progress —— particularly in view of the limited time which was available to the members —— it must be said that a number of issues remained uncompleted and these will be addressed in the following paragraphs. What is meant by “uncompleted” is recommendations made which had not been implemented when the Committee wound up.

2.5.2 The Committee made specific recommendations regarding Parliamentary Questions and these are set out in paragraphs 3.4.2 to 3.4.4 in the second report. These were practical recommendations and there was no particular difficulty associated with them. In spite of that they have been completely ignored and it is a source of great disappointment to this Joint Committee that this has happened. There will be more about this later.

2.5.3 In the Action Plan for Irish 1983-1986 which was published in 1983 a number of recommendations were made regarding speeches in Irish in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Committee supported those recommendations and said;

“the Government and opposition Parties should implement them as soon as practicable.”

They were not implemented and that is a great pity. Again, there will be more about this later.

2.5.4 In order to assist Members of both Houses to prepare Parliamentary Questions, speeches and statements in Irish the Committee recommended that additional staff be recruited for the Translation Branch. Despite the fact that the work of that Branch is increasing all the time — without the provision of services for Members (as mentioned previously) being included at all — there is no progress regarding an increase in staffing levels. If something is not done about this very soon there is a danger that a grave situation may exist.

2.5.5 The Committee recommended also that an interpretation system be installed in the Seanad while the improvement works would be carried out. Perhaps that will be done but no evidence is available yet. The authorities of the Houses must confirm that that system will be made available. Nothing has been done either regarding the provision of an interpretation system in one room (at least) which is used for meetings of Oireachtas Committees. If one is in earnest regarding all the work of the Houses, including the work of Committees, being conducted on a bilingual basis satisfactory interpretation facilities are essential.

2.6.1 The first report of the Committee was debated in the Seanad in March 1986 and the Committee commented in the annual report:

“the number of Senators who participated in the debate was a source of satisfaction to the Joint Committee”.

It appears that excellent goodwill towards the Irish language and the work of the Committee in general was shown during this debate and the Minister for the Gaeltacht mentioned, while he was replying to it:

“To tell the truth the standard of Irish that I heard here and the number of people who were able to speak Irish amazed me and made me proud”.

2.6.2 In the month of November 1986 the Seanad spent a full day discussing the other reports of the Committee. Again a wide range of opinions was expressed and the recommendations which had been made were welcomed —— their practicality was particularly emphasised. Once again the Minister for the Gaeltacht replied to the debate and he mentioned;

“looking at the reports before us it is clear that the members of the Committee have a will to work —— you only have to look at the recommendations —— 25 —— here at the end of the second report. It is very easy to make recommendations on paper. I have to say as far as the recommendations before me in the report of the Committee are concerned these are workable; things which are attainable have been set out and accordingly the entire effort is worthwhile”.

2.6.3 Unfortunately, not one of the reports from the Committee was discussed in the Dáil.

2.7.1 On 4 November 1986 “Lá na Gaeilge” was held throughout the public service and the primary objective behind this was to provide an opportunity for every person to use whatever Irish they had. According to the reports published after the event it appears that it went quite well, all told.

2.7.2 When “Lá na Gaeilge” was mentioned initially the Committee decided that it would be a good opportunity to promote the Irish language in the Houses of the Oireachtas. To that end contact was made with An Ceann Comhairle, with the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad and with Chairpersons of Committees and arising from that:

(a)a considerable amount of Dáil business was conducted in Irish that day;

(b)a special meeting of the Seanad was held on that day to debate various reports from the Joint Committee on the Irish Language (see paragraph 2.6.2 above);

(c)Committees who were meeting on that day made a particular effort to conduct some business through Irish; and

(d)Members and staff of the Houses did everything they could to use whatever Irish that they had.

2.7.3 In addition to the foregoing a special occasion was organised in Room 114 when An Ceann Comhairle presented:

(a)a copy of the bilingual hand-book of phrases used frequently in the work of the Houses to the Leaders of the Political Parties (or their representatives) — see paragraph 2.4.7 above; and

(b)instructional tapes, a series of books and tape recorders for the use of the Members of both Houses to practise and improve their Irish — see paragraph 2.4.6 above.

2.8.1 One of the ideas of the Committee was that meetings be held with the Leaders of the Political Parties (or their representatives) to get their views and to inform them of the steps which it was proposed to adopt. The following interesting summary was given in the annual report of the Committee regarding those meetings, viz:

“More than anything else that emerged from the meetings, the Joint Committee was pleased that every representative present promised the full support of his Party for the aims of the Joint Committee”.

2.8.2 Looking back on those meetings it is clear that they were well worth holding. It was promised that action would be taken regarding Irish in the Houses but this has not happened yet, generally speaking. Accordingly, the time for talking is over and the time for action is upon us. Following this we will be concentrating on the current position and the proposals for the future.

3. THE CURRENT POSITION

3.1.1 All that is involved in this chapter of the report is the provision of a summary on the current position regarding Irish in the Houses of the Oireachtas as the members of the Joint Committee see it, as they commence their business.

3.2.1 A far more favourable atmosphere towards Irish is discernable in the Houses certainly, than used to be the case. More Irish is to be heard and to be seen than formerly but a lot of work remains to be done if the Irish language is to have the same standing as English in the Houses on both of those counts.

3.2.2 The Irish language enjoys a greater status and standing in the Houses now than for a long time. More Members are using Irish during speeches and a small increase has taken place in the number of Parliamentary Questions which are being put down in Irish but this is not sufficient at all. The majority of Members are not influenced by the efforts which are ongoing and they do not understand (or do not accept) that they have a responsibility regarding the Irish language. That cannot be accepted anymore.

3.2.3 Prior to this a description was given of the substantial difficulties faced by the preceding Committee, when the members commenced their business, regarding the availability of basic services. The majority of those difficulties have been overcome now and it can be said that the capability to deal with practically all aspects of the work of the Houses in Irish is available.

4. OUTLOOK OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE

4.1.1 In this chapter of the report the members of the Joint Committee propose to describe their outlook regarding the question of Irish and it’s promotion in the Houses of the Oireachtas. As mentioned prior to this the time for action is upon us and this chapter (and the rest of this report) is based on the desire of the members to go about that business.

4.2.1 The members of the Joint Committee welcome the things which have been accomplished to date and these are worthwhile. It is acknowledged that one cannot come from a point at which the Irish language is in a weak state to a point where it is strong (and getting stronger) in a short space of time and in that context a good start has been made in the work of reviving Irish in the Houses of the Oireachtas. If the same progress was made every year as has been made since the first Joint Committee was founded the Irish language would be saved — or so might be thought in any event.

4.2.2 The Joint Committee is very doubtful that the same level of progress as has been achieved for the past couple of years will be maintained. The reason for this doubt is that insufficient progress has been made in tying-in the Irish language with the ordinary work of the Houses i.e. there are not enough speeches in Irish, there are not enough Parliamentary Questions being put down in Irish and, generally speaking, the language is not being used except on an occasional basis (apart from the odd exception here and there).

4.2.3 As the Joint Committee sees it the fundamental deficiency is that Irish is not being used in the Houses except very occasionally apart from matters which relate to the Irish language itself, to the Gaeltacht and to education. A number of reasons have been given for that, including;

(a)laziness;

(b)lack of interest;

(c)lack of publicity; and

(d)lack of ability.

4.2.4 In relation to laziness regarding the Irish language it must be admitted that it is easier for Members to conduct their business through English because that is their native language in the majority of cases and all the support services are geared in that direction. In other words any Member who wishes to conduct his business through Irish must go out of his way. This will not be done unless there is some specific advantage to be gained from it and at this point in time this is not the case.

4.2.5 It is a large part of the responsibility of the Members to concentrate on and attend to the requirements of the voters in their Constituencies. As Members do not see a demand for services through Irish being made by the public that they are serving, it is not obvious to them what need there is for Irish and they do not bother with it in their activities. In addition Members are aware that it is very difficult to deal satisfactorily with State Agencies through Irish and they appreciate that they would have to work under a disadvantage if they attempted to do so. Accordingly, the easy option is adopted, needless to say.

4.2.6 It has been stated frequently that the lack of publicity for speeches, etc., in Irish is a cause of concern to Members. For as long as this opinion persists Members will not be inclined to say much in Irish. It should be pointed out that the media indicate that greater coverage of proceedings in Irish is not undertaken because national importance is not attached to these as a general rule i.e. it is said that “parochial” issues principally are debated in Irish. Obviously, one cannot be seeking publicity for proceedings in Irish because they are in Irish: the Joint Committee recognises that they must be worthwhile and of importance.

4.2.7 Although it is a pity that it must be said, the majority of Members of both Houses have not got a capability in Irish to the point where they could deal with any subject, without difficulty, in their normal work. It would be unrealistic to expect that in all the circumstances, but at the same time only a small number of Members would not have some Irish — a couple of words, even. Accordingly, there is a broad range of ability amongst the Members as regards the Irish language.

4.2.8 It is clear, therefore, that there are major obstacles to be overcome if Irish is to be promoted and if that is to be continuous in the future.

4.3.1 Everyone appreciates that it is easy to identify weaknesses but it is also understood that the resolution of those weaknesses is more difficult. The Joint Committee will be concentrating below on the solutions to the problems which have been identified.

4.3.2 Laziness was mentioned prior to this as one reason for the lack of Irish used in the work of the Houses. Information and understanding are required to overcome this particular difficulty and it is not beyond the ability of any Member to make a positive effort regarding the Irish language. It is difficult, indeed, for any person to make the necessary progress alone and there must be some advantage in this for him — in addition to encouragement and leadership from the Party or group to which he belongs.

4.3.3 Despite the results of surveys conducted in recent years it is difficult to accept that the public has a great interest in Irish and the same thing can be said regarding the Members of both Houses, generally speaking. The basic reason for this is that the demand for service through Irish, by the community that the Members are looking after, is not being made and until that aspect of the system changes progress will not be made. The community must demand this service and they must oblige Members to provide it. Until that happens not much progress can be expected because Members cannot — and will not be prepared to — operate in vacuo regarding the Irish language.

4.3.4 Lack of publicity has been cited frequently as one of the greatest constraints to the use of Irish in the Houses. As mentioned previously (paragraph 4.2.6), the media have expressed strong views on this question and it is clear that there will not be much progress unless live issues and controversial subjects are being discussed regularly through Irish. In addition to that, Members are aware that it is essential to provide scripts of speeches for the media and it is very difficult to do that in the case of Irish because:

(a)it is difficult to obtain material of any kind typed in Irish by the staff of the Parties; and

(b)there is no staff available to provide a translation service for Members — even if it is only a small point like checking a script in Irish for grammatical errors.

Without a solution to those two fundamental problems progress will not be made.

4.3.5 It was mentioned previously that there is a broad range of abilities in Irish amongst the Members of both Houses — on the one hand native speakers and on the other hand those who have only a very limited amount of Irish. If all Members have not got an acceptable standard of Irish it will be difficult to make progress and, accordingly, first-class facilities must be provided to train those Members who have not got much Irish. Instructional facilities are already available in the Houses but the Joint Committee is of the view that these are more suitable for people who wish to practise Irish rather than learn it.

4.4.1 The Political Parties have a central role in the work of the Houses. They select the work of the Houses, select speakers, prepare policies and are in charge of everything which is accomplished. There is continuity in the Parties and that is important, as well as the central role mentioned previously, in relation to the Irish language.

4.4.2 Every Party has a policy in relation to Irish, indeed, and the leaders of the Parties (or their representatives) confirmed that they were strongly in favour of the fostering and strengthening of the language — particularly in the Houses — when they met with the Joint Committee on the Irish Language, which was functioning in the 24th Dáil.

4.4.3 There is no doubt but that the Political Parties could do a lot more regarding Irish. In the opinion of the Joint Committee the Parties should — if they are in earnest regarding Irish (as they say) — conduct a detailed examination urgently of their own structures at every level to see if their policies on Irish are understood, if those policies are being implemented, and if it is possible to conduct business through Irish and if there are any particular difficulties which they must overcome. Every Party must obtain an accurate picture of the current state of Irish within itself and take whatever action is necessary then. It is through the recognition and solution of basic weaknesses that substantial progress will be made. The Parties must do this conscientiously and quickly if they are earnest regarding Irish.

4.4.4 If the Irish language is not in regular use at the top-levels in the Parties it is useless to expect good example from the ordinary membership. The officers at the top-levels in each Party — and the Leader in particular:

(a)must show good example regularly regarding Irish in all areas of work;

(b)must encourage all members of the Parties to practise Irish; and

(c)must keep Party policy on Irish under continuous review.

4.4.5 Needless to say, the preceding points regarding the affairs of the Parties are generally related to the Houses of the Oireachtas also. The Houses are a forum for the Parties to display and promote their outlook and policies and therefore they provide an excellent opportunity to use the Irish language. From their experience to date the members of the Joint Committee are aware of the existence of evidence that the Parties have not availed of that opportunity earnestly and, this being the case, it is the view of the Joint Committee that these issues must change fundamentally. In other words, it is the responsibility of the Parties to show clearly that they are in favour of the Irish language and to show this by linking-in the language into all their normal activities. If they are not prepared to do that what value are their policies in relation to Irish?

4.5.1 The role of the Political Parties was mentioned before this and this has had a not inconsiderable influence on the role of the Members of both Houses. If Members are in receipt of sustained encouragement and leadership in relation to Irish from the Parties they will appreciate the responsibility which they have and will make a greater effort in that regard.

4.5.2 If it is clear to the public that the Parties are showing greater earnestness in relation to Irish there is no doubt but that this will encourage ordinary people — who are interested in the language — to use more Irish when they are dealing with Members of both Houses. In that way the demand for service through Irish will be created gradually and the Members will ensure that the structures are amended to deal with this.

4.6.1 What is clear from the preceding material is that plenty of work will have to be done before the Irish language will be on a sound footing and getting stronger, in the Houses of the Oireachtas. Up until now the roles of the Parties and the Members have been studied and the role of the Joint Committee itself must now be looked at.

4.6.2The Joint Committee is in being principally to:

“review and make recommendations”.

(Paragraph 2 of the Orders of Reference).

Although that is quite wide it is not as broad as is frequently thought. For example, the Joint Committee may make recommendations and undertake the monitoring of their implementation but there is no obligation on the members after that. If the authorities who are responsible do not do whatever is necessary to give effect to those recommendations, the Joint Committee can complain about that but that is all. In the opinion of the Joint Committee, it is important that its role be understood clearly and that it not be requested to do things which the Members have no control over.

4.6.3 When the Joint Committee in the 24th Dáil was functioning, the Members mentioned in the second report that:

“intensive monitoring of the implementation of the proposals in this report”

should be done. Deadlines were laid down regarding some of the recommendations in that report and this Joint Committee assumes that what was involved was monitoring their implementation. The Members of the Joint Committee agree with the view that monitoring should be conducted on recommendations to ensure their implementation. It may be accepted, indeed, that that policy will be implemented regarding the recommendations which will be made later.

4.6.4 Although the Members of the Joint Committee will be seeking that whatever recommendations made subsequently will be implemented, they will not be putting pressure on any organisation or individual. If those organisations or people are not prepared to give their support they only have to say that clearly and there will be no misunderstanding in the future regarding their views on the Irish language.

5. THE POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE IRISH LANGUAGE

5.1.1 Much has been written — and even more spoken — over the years regarding the Political Parties and the Irish Language. The role and activity of the Parties was examined and plenty of recommendations were made but, unfortunately, it does not appear that much attention was paid to them. In this part of the report the members of the Joint Committee propose to address that question and to make their own recommendations.

5.1.2 In every Party a structure is in place from the level of the parish in rural areas for example, to the national level. Much could be written regarding every level on the ladder from the bottom to the top but it is not proposed to do so here and the top levels alone will be addressed.

5.2.1 The Political Parties have a central role in every aspect of the life of the country. They prepare policies and appoint spokespersons to explain these to the population and to promote them in general. This is also the case in relation to the Irish language: every Party has policies regarding it and they all say that they support it.

5.2.2 It is with the Government that power lies to implement activities and the Parties are in competition with each other to lead the country. Therefore, from the foundation of the State it is not unreasonable to observe that no Party, when they were in power, made the progress necessary to revive the Irish language — despite the policies which they had.

5.2.3 In the view of the members there is no doubt but that one is dependant on the Political Parties to show good example and leadership to the population in general in relation to the Irish language. They have made some effort to give this but it is not clear that it was adequate and there is a need for great improvement. Those improvements must take place in the Parties themselves initially and it is to those aspects that attention is now turned.

5.3.1 If the Irish language is to be promoted within the Parties one must start at the top level i.e. the President of the Party. The President — who is leader of the Party also — must take the first step and use Irish as much as possible in his normal activities. That would give hope and encouragement to other members of the Party and at the end of the day there is nothing better than good example.

5.3.2 The President has a central part in all the activities of the Party and has a very great influence, accordingly. If he shows genuine interest in Irish and if he makes an effort to promote it in all kinds of activities attention will be paid to that.

5.3.3 If the President has not got an abundance of Irish he should not be reluctant to attend an intensive Irish language course to improve his ability to a satisfactory level.

5.4.1 In every Party an Executive Committee is elected to conduct and administer its affairs and has a great influence on everything which happens within the organisation. If a substantial effort was to be made to promote Irish within the Party the full support of the Executive Committee would be necessary and the members would have to make a specific effort to achieve that.

5.4.2 In so far as it relates to the members of the Executive Committees of the Parties the Joint Committee recommends that they adopt the following responsibilities to themselves:

(a)to ensure that the Party will have a comprehensive policy in relation to the Irish language and that it will be endeavouring to promote that policy in a positive manner;

(b)to make certain that other policies of the Party should not have a negative influence on the Irish language;

(c)to show leadership in relation to the language to other levels in the Party by organising meetings — or part thereof at least — through Irish regularly; and

(d)laying down guidelines and advising the other levels in the Party in relation to language matters.

5.5.1 Teachtaí Dála and Senators are members of the Parliamentary Parties. The role of the Members in all other aspects of the work of the Houses has been examined carefully previously and no more will be done here than to make recommendations regarding the items which could be implemented within the Parliamentary Party.

5.5.2 In the case of the Parliamentary Party action could be taken in a number of ways. In the view of the Joint Committee attention should be directed to the following items:

(a)to use as much Irish as they possibly can within both Houses: specific recommendations have already been made and more will follow which would be useful as guidelines for them in this regard;

(b)the officers (e.g. Chairman and Secretary) should do everything possible to promote a bilingual atmosphere within the Parliamentary Party. That could be achieved through discussing various topics in Irish regularly, laying down regulations in Irish, etc.; and

(c)to enable the Members of both Houses to prepare speeches, etc., in Irish it would be worthwhile for the Parliamentary Parties to ask the Head Offices to make arrangements to provide a translation for them. The Joint Committee has already recommended that such a service should be available in Leinster House but until that is the case the Parties should provide a service of their own for the Members.

5.6.1. The headquarters of every Party must also be addressed. Headquarters is the power-centre of every Party and the officers therein would have a not inconsiderable role in implementing any efforts to strengthen and broaden the status of Irish. It would also be necessary to promote an atmosphere favourable to Irish and to give a prominent place to the language. The following recommendations are directed towards those items principally and to the supply of services to the party.

5.6.2 An atmosphere favourable to Irish could be promoted through having bilingual signs and notices and ensuring that people would be available in the reception office and in other offices who would be able to conduct business through Irish. Some people have such skills already and intensive courses could be provided from time to time for others. It would help the Irish language considerably also if it was to be seen in all documents of the Parties which are issued from headquarters — particularly those which go to the public. Of course, some publicity work of the Parties should be conducted on a bilingual basis also.

5.6.3 In the view of the members of the Joint Committee the following services should be available in every head office:

(a)a service to have letters, speeches and statements written and typed in Irish;

(b)a service to conduct telephone business through Irish; and

(c)information service in Irish i.e. brochures, forms, etc. in Irish (or bilingual) to be available.

5.6.4 Officers and spokespersons of the Parties could also show good example in relation to Irish in their normal activities. It is recommended that they adopt the following specific steps:

(a)to indicate, through signs and other means, that they welcome Irish in relation to any business at any time;

(b)to make use of opportunities to use Irish — for example, in the delivery of speeches; and

(c)giving a prominent place to Irish in all the activities of the Parties — business and social — which they are associated with.

5.7.1 If an improvement is to take place in relation to the promotion of Irish the example must come from the Political Parties in the first instance. The Parties state that they are in favour of the Irish language; they should prove that now by examining their structures as a matter of urgency and by implementing the recommendations which have been made prior to this.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE IRISH LANGUAGE IN THE HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS

6.1.1 It is worth mentioning again the commendable recommendations made by the Joint Committee which functioned in the 24th Dáil. The members of that Committee endeavoured to promote practical recommendations which would be easily workable and that approach will be followed below.

6.1.2 It must be mentioned at this point, of course, that some of the following recommendations are repeats. It is a pity that this is the case but there is no option, in the view of the members, but to do this because those recommendations have not been implemented already.

6.2.1 There was plenty of discussion prior to this regarding the Irish language and its promotion in the proceedings of the Political Parties and the recommendations which have been made in that regard must be implemented if a worthwhile result is to be accomplished in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The political level must be addressed initially therefore, and it is to that end that the following recommendations are made.

6.2.2 The members are of the view that each leader should make an honest effort to achieve basic fluency in Irish within a reasonable period of time in order to give proper recognition to the policies of their Parties in relation to the Irish language. The members recognise that there have been leaders prior to this who did not have that much Irish but in the present day there is no constraint on anyone to learn the language in view of the very wide range of instructional facilities which are available.

6.2.3 If a particular interest in Irish was being displayed by the leaders of the Parties there is a good chance that Ministers and spokespersons would be encouraged to improve their facility in the language. This must happen really if the language is to survive within the Houses.

6.2.4 The Parties have a not inconsiderable influence on the Members chosen to take the Chair in both Houses and their assistants. These are very important positions and when people are being nominated for them fluency in Irish, inter alia, should be a consideration, in the view of the members of the Joint Committee.

6.2.5 If those chosen to take the Chair in the Houses have not got an abundance of Irish they could attend courses to improve their facility in the language or use some form of teaching aid.

6.2.6 Major speeches of a political nature are delivered in the Houses e.g. debates on the Adjournment at the end of every Term. In order to give a prominent place to the language it would be worthwhile to have a portion in Irish in every such speech in relation to an important subject.

6.3.1 For some time not much Irish was used in the Houses but that position has been improving in recent years. The amount of Irish in use is still not adequate and the following recommendations are made with a view to improving that situation.

6.3.2 Recommendations were made previously regarding the use of Irish in speeches in the Houses but not much notice was paid to them. It is a pity that this is the case. The Irish language must be heard regularly in speeches and Ministers and spokespersons from the other Parties in particular have an obligation to give a lead to the Members of both Houses.

6.3.3 In the view of the members of the Joint Committee there should be a substantial portion in Irish in every major speech which Ministers and spokespersons deliver in both Houses. That should not be there for the sake of being there: in each case the piece should be worthwhile and should not be mentioned in that part of the speech being delivered in English. This would promote a practice regarding the use of Irish on a regular basis in relation to worthwhile matters.

6.3.4 It was mentioned previously that it would be preferable that Members in the Chair in both Houses would have a facility in Irish. It would be worth promoting the practice also of having Members with Irish being included in the rota to take the Chair in the course of debates in Irish, if necessary.

6.3.5 When one is speaking about the proceedings in the Houses one cannot forget Question Time in the Dáil. Specific recommendations were made in relation to this subject but not much attention was paid to them. Looking back on those recommendations it is clear, perhaps, that they were a little ambitious and that that was the reason why they were not implemented. The issue must be readdressed and having done so the members are satisfied that the following recommendations would be worthwhile in relation to Irish:

(a)that each Deputy would try to put down one Parliamentary Question in Irish regarding any subject each week. This was recommended previously and it is worth recommending again particularly if support services are available to the Members (see below);

(b)that Members would have permission to include an additional Parliamentary Question in the Lottery each day. This recommendation was ignored previously and it is a pity that that is the case as it is worthwhile proposition which gives positive encouragement to Members and that is why it is being recommended again;

(c)that an additional Parliamentary Question nominated for Priority could be put down each day if it was in Irish; and

(d)that every Deputy who is looking after Gaeltacht areas would make a concerted effort to put down as many Parliamentary Questions in Irish as possible on matters affecting the people of the Gaeltacht. Those Questions would deal with every type of issue affecting their normal lives.

6.3.6 The Order of Business in each House has a particular importance and the members are of the view that it would be worth promoting the practice of using some Irish each day when that issue is being discussed. It is not too difficult to promote a habit of any kind and it would be worth making an effort to achieve that in this particular case. The leaders of the Parties could settle this question among themselves.

6.3.7 Each day that both Houses sit there is a Debate on the Adjournment. As an encouragement to the Members it would be worthwhile to have the practice in existence that the Debate on the Adjournment be held in Irish — on any subject — one day out of each twenty, say, or two or three times in each Term. Such would encourage Members to use more Irish.

6.4.1 Support services for Members were mentioned previously and it is to this important aspect of the affairs of the Houses to which we turn now.

6.4.2 It is a major difficulty for Members when basic services are not available to them in Irish. This entails services to prepare speeches, Parliamentary Questions and so forth in Irish and to check work which has been done already. Prior to this it was recommended that it would be worthwhile for the Parties to provide such but in addition to that the service should be available in Leinster House.

6.4.3 In order to provide a proper service for Members it is recommended that the following steps be adopted:

(a)that a particular room be available on a full-time basis for everything associated with Irish. A room is available on a part-time basis at the moment but that is not adequate to give proper effect to the recommendations which follows this;

(b)that official staff be available in the room mentioned previously to assist Members to prepare official speeches, statements, motions for both Houses and Parliamentary Questions. It is felt that two people would be sufficient i.e. a translator and a typist to provide the service and they need only be available for, perhaps, three hours on three days per week;

(c)that a summary of the relevant phrases in Irish be issued with every Bill distributed. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges in Seanad Éireann prepared such in the case of the Extradition (Amendment) Bill 1987 and this was an excellent idea. If it was the accepted practice that such a summary be distributed in each case, in both Houses, it would be a very worthwhile facility for Members;

(d)from their own experience and from that which they have been told by other Members the members understand the great difficulty associated with getting correspondence typed in Irish since the vast majority of secretaries employed have not got the facility to type in Irish. Something must be done as soon as possible to correct this basic deficiency and it is recommended that the authorities of the Parties should seek advice from competent experts to see if relevant intensive courses could be prepared and implemented in order to improve the present position considerably. Arrangements should be made in each Party to have a secretary or two available who would do work through Irish exclusively for Members i.e. that such a service would be available in addition to the work carried out by other secretaries; and

(e)in order to assist Members of both Houses principally, and as a facility for the public in general, it would be worthwhile for Ministers to make arrangements for the publication in Irish of lists of terms associated with their Departments. Such would be very useful in the course of debates and they could be used also when Parliamentary Questions would be in the course of preparation.

6.4.4 Because there is a particular importance attached to the promotion of the speaking of Irish within both Houses it is essential that the majority of Members have a facility in it. A certain percentage of the Members have a capability in Irish already but the members of the Joint Committee are aware of a considerable number of them who are not competent in it but who are eager — and willing — to learn it. There is a need for particular action to help those Members and it is recommended that the following recommendations be examined to see if they could be implemented:

(a)the authorities of the Houses should consult with linguistic experts with a view to the preparation of a specification for a course in Irish which would be directed principally towards the work of the Houses;

(b)when the comprehensive specification mentioned at (a) above would be ready, the authorities of the Houses should invite tenders from companies/organisations who would be prepared to make facilities available and organise the course;

(c)when the tenders mentioned above would be received a short list would be prepared and further recommendations obtained from the companies/organisations regarding price, times, frequency, methods of teaching and so forth. The final decision would be based on this submission;

(d)as regards the running of the courses it is accepted that they would have to be held outside hours during which the Houses would be sitting i.e. early in the week or very early in the morning;

(e)as regards the financing of the courses the Parties should be prepared to put up most of the cost and it would be expected that the Members would be prepared to make some contribution themselves as a goodwill gesture. The members of the Joint Committee would expect also, of course, that assistance would be available from official sources.

6.4.5 The members of the Joint Committee have been made aware that certain Members would be interested in attending intensive weekend courses in the Gaeltacht and it is recommended that this question be investigated on the same lines as for the courses mentioned prior to this.

6.5.1 The importance attaching to the Oireachtas Committees which are functioning is widely understood and it would help the standing of the Irish language considerably if it was to be seen in their activities, occasionally at any rate. The following recommendations are geared towards items which the various Committees could do.

6.5.2 It is said that the speaking of a language is its life blood and the Oireachtas Committees could discuss various subjects from time to time in Irish. They proved already (on Lá na Gaeilge) that they were in a position to do that and it is not apparent that there are any major obstacles which would impede that.

6.5.3 When an Oireachtas Committee adopts a report it is usually printed in English initially and the official version is distributed in bilingual form later. Because of the extreme pressure on the staff in the Translation Branch it takes a long time to publish the bilingual version and not much attention is paid to Irish at that stage. It would help considerably if there were some Irish in every report published from the beginning i.e. that there would be a chapter in Irish, that there would be a summary of the recommendations in Irish, etc. This practice could be extended gradually in the future.

6.5.4 Every Oireachtas Committee should ensure that publicity material would be available in Irish when reports were being issued and in relation to the work of the Committee in general. In addition to that it would be worthwhile for every Committee to name a member to deal specifically with the media in Irish on all aspects of the work on hand.

6.6.1 The preceding recommendations deal principally with the Members of both Houses. Attention must be paid also to the officials at every level who work in the Houses and the following recommendations relate to these.

6.6.2 It could be perceived of as being something minor but the manner in which the telephones are answered is very important. At the moment the words “Leinster House” are used but no reason is seen why that practice could not be changed to “Tithe an Oireachtais” or, indeed “Oireachtas” and it is recommended that this be done immediately.

6.6.3 A number of specific groups are working in the Houses of the Oireachtas for whom special courses in Irish could be arranged. For example, an excellent service through Irish is provided in the reception office but there are other offices which could improve their services through Irish. It would be worthwhile for the authorities of the Houses to consult with Gaeleagras na Seirbhíse Poiblí in relation to courses which could be organised for special groups — for example those who are dealing specifically with the public and with Members. Any such course would be in addition to the normal courses provided, obviously.

6.6.4 It must be a medium-term objective that at least one person in every office — outside of the reception offices where more than that would be involved — could deal with business through Irish. To that end it must be ensured that the staff receive every opportunity to attend various courses organised by Gaeleagras na Seirbhíse Poiblí.

6.6.5 The Joint Committee which functioned in the 24th Dáil emphasised that Irish should be seen throughout the Houses on signs, etc. Most of the recommendations which they made have been implemented but the following two have yet to be finalised, viz:

(a)clear signs to be placed in the various reception offices indicating that business through Irish is welcome; and

(b)current magazines in Irish to be available in the waiting room in a prominent place.

Both of those recommendations should be implemented without delay.

6.6.6 In the second report of the previous Joint Committee a detailed description was given of the work being undertaken by the Translation Branch and of the difficulties which were impeding this. It was recommended that additional staff be provided as a priority measure. It is a source of great disappointment to the members of this Joint Committee that no attention was paid to that recommendation. The workload is still increasing, the crisis is getting more critical all the time and there is a need for positive action to improve the situation. It is recognised that there are difficulties in relation to staff matters in the public sector in general and this must be borne in mind when this question is being examined. Be that as it may the difficulties associated with the Translation Branch must be overcome; the work which is undertaken by that Branch is too important to be neglected.

6.7.1 In the recommendations so far emphasis has been laid on the official business of the Houses. The media have a not inconsiderable part in that work indirectly and it seems timely to support the following recommendations in that regard.

6.7.2 The following recommendations arise from meetings which the Joint Committee which functioned in the 24th Dáil had with representatives of the media — particularly the national newspapers. The representatives of the media indicated that it is difficult to locate qualified reporters who are competent in Irish and they recommended:

(a)that it would be worthwhile to establish a special fund to teach Irish to trainee reporters while they are learning the profession; and

(b)that it be worthwhile to award scholarships to the Gaeltacht each year to a number of trainee reporters so that they could attend intensive courses in Irish.

The members of the Joint Committee are not in disagreement with those recommendations and it is felt that they would help considerably to awaken understanding in relation to Irish amongst reporters in general.

6.8.1 It is important also to consider the social aspect associated with the work of the Houses. Members and staff are in constant contact with one another and such occasions could be exploited for the use of some Irish at least. This already happens to a certain extent and it should not be too difficult to build on that if it is approached enthusiastically and energetically.

6.8.2 In order to improve social contact in Irish it would be worthwhile to establish a Cumann Gaelach in Leinster House. Clubs such as this already exist for other areas e.g. golf, and it should not be too difficult to establish something for the benefit of the Irish language. Every person in Leinster House could take part in this and enjoy it.

6.9.1 It is a practice of the public to visit the Houses of the Oireachtas and it is taken for granted that a certain percentage of those visitors would have a competence in Irish. These should conduct their business with Members and with the staff in Irish, as much as possible, to indicate clearly that there is a demand for this.

6.9.2 Visitors come under the auspices of the Members of both Houses and these have a duty to explain to them that Irish is welcome. Members should explain to visitors about the position of the Irish language in the Houses in accordance with Standing Orders and about the steps which are being undertaken to promote Irish in all the activities in Leinster House.

7. THE JOINT COMMITTEE AND THE FUTURE

7.1.1 In the short-term — and in the medium-term, if necessary — the members propose to concentrate on the question of Irish in the Houses of the Oireachtas. That is the most important question in the view of the members because, if progress cannot be made there it is hardly worthwhile trying to impress on the people of the country in general the importance which attaches to Irish.

7.1.2 Because the question of Irish within the Parties and in the political system in general is interwoven with the affairs of the Houses a close eye must be kept on this also. In this part of the report the methods proposed to do that will be described and also the general steps which are proposed in that regard.

7.2.1 Recommendations were made previously regarding the promotion of the language in the Houses of the Oireachtas and time limits were set out for each one of them. As a result of different circumstances some recommendations were not implemented in accordance with the time limits and in other cases they were not implemented at all. It is not proposed, therefore, to set down time limits in relation to the recommendations made in the preceding chapter.

7.2.2 It is proposed to undertake regular monitoring of the implementation of the recommendations made and to adopt suitable steps if the progress in that regard is not satisfactory. To that end the members of the Joint Committee will be preparing an annual report henceforth and it will contain a detailed description of the difficulties or the progress, whichever happens. Because of the importance which would attach to an annual report such as that the members are strongly of the view it should be discussed in both Houses as soon as that would be practicable.

7.3.1 It appears to members that recommendations which have been made regarding the Houses could be applied in other sectors in which elected representatives participate — for example:

(a)County Councils;

(b)Health Boards;

(c)Miscellaneous Local Authorities.

In the following year the members are hopeful that they will be in a position to address this aspect and make worthwhile recommendations in that regard.

7.4.1 The role of the Political Parties will be central to all the work which the members have set out to do and they will have to play an active part in it. If they are not prepared to adjust their structures conscientiously and substantially and adopt positive steps in relation to the Irish language it is not worthwhile making the other efforts because they will not be successful in the long-term.

8. EPILOGUE

8.1.1 When the Joint Committee on the Irish Language which functioned in the 24th Dáil commenced business, a campaign to give its proper place to Irish in the Houses of the Oireachtas was begun. The Irish language was very weak in the Houses at that time but arising from the efforts of the members of that Joint Committee a substantial improvement in the status of the language came about.

8.1.2 After the members of this Joint Committee commenced business they decided early on that special attention would have to be devoted to the question in the Houses of the Oireachtas and they recognised that it was very important that there should be continuity in that work. It was decided accordingly that the steps which had been envisaged by the preceding members be continued and this report is the result of the endeavour.

8.1.3 Some of the recommendations in this report are repeats of course because they were not implemented previously. In addition to that plenty of new recommendations have been made in it and a special effort has been made by the members to emphasise aspects which would be easily achieveable and practical — it is not worth making recommendations if they are not of this type.

8.2.1 In this report not inconsiderable emphasis has been laid on the importance of the Political Parties in relation to the promotion of Irish. In the view of the members of the Joint Committee the Political Parties must take positive, visible action in relation to the language immediately. It is not worth their while doing anything else because the time for talking is long past and the time for action is upon us.

8.2.2 It is time for the Political Parties to act in accordance with their words if the language is to live and pick up strongly. The Parties have the choice to promote Irish as mentioned previously or to let it wither away. A positive decision must be made now: perhaps no choice will be available in the future.

(Signed) TOM FITZGERALD,

Senator Tom Fitzgerald,

Chairman.

12 May 1988