Sargent welcomes official status for Irish in EU
Issued: 13 June 2005
13 June 2004
Green Party / Comhaontas Glas Leader Trevor Sargent TD today expressed his clear satisfaction at the acceptance of Irish as an EU language with full official working status.
?As spokesperson on the Irish language for my Party, I have been campaigning to bring about this decision over many years,? said Deputy Sargent who recently met with the Spanish Ambassador to Ireland who in turn pledged support for the Irish language case.
?This decision will at last give more employment opportunities to Irish people and will in turn increase interest in Ireland overseas as a country with a distinctive multi-cultural society.?
?This recognition of status for Irish is no more than the existing status of every national language of each other EU member state.?
?The amazing and still unanswered question is why Fianna Fáil accepted the second rate status for our national language from the day Ireland became a member of the then Common Market until its belated recognition today,? concluded Trevor Sargent.