Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has criticised Aer Lingus for dropping Irish language messages on its new flights out of Belfast.
The issue was raised in the Dail parliament by Opposition leader and fluent Gaelic speaker Enda Kenny who asked if the Government, which owns 23 per cent of the airline, was consulted on the issue.
Mr Ahern said: "Why Aer Lingus would believe it is necessary to drop Irish, I do not know. We were not informed and I do not believe it is any great hardship to anybody. In any of the meetings I have had, I heard nobody objecting to the effect that Irish should be dropped.
The Taoiseach said he agreed with Mr Kenny that Aer Lingus is the national airline and its profile should be based around that.
"I do not believe the few sentences would harm anyone and I do not believe anybody would object to them," he added.
Mr Ahern said that politicians and officials involved in North-South and East-West political bodies use the Irish language if they are fluent.
"Even those of us who are not are using the 'cúpla focal' it is totally accepted by all the parties in the North.
"Some people of the unionist tradition pride themselves, in respect of their Scottish language and Irish, that they are well able to use their cupla focal and I admire them for that."
The Taoiseach said Stormont's DUP Culture Minister Edwin Poots made a recent impressive effort to speak Irish at a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) event.
Earlier Mr Kenny asked if the Government was told about instructions given by Aer Lingus to all pilots and flight personnel that all announcements flying out of Belfast were to be made in English only.
"While Aer Lingus no longer is the national airline in that sense, the Government is a 23 per cent shareholder.
"I fly to Brussels with Aer Lingus occasionally to attend meetings and inevitably short formal announcements are made such as, "Failte romhaibh chuig an mBruiseil" (Welcome to Brussels).
"I find it extraordinary that Aer Lingus, the carrier of the shamrock throughout the world for many years, would issue an instruction to its flight personnel and pilots that all announcements are to be made in English only. Did Aer Lingus consult the Government on this matter?"
PA