An Irish-language organisation has appealed for the Government to make minority languages an issue for the agenda of the EU's Inter-Governmental Conference in 2004.
Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge said the languages of all EU countries except Ireland and Luxembourg were currently accepted as official and working languages.
Mr Peadar Ó Flaithearta of Comdháil said there might be up to 10 more languages, and all would be looking for official status, so there would be many more countries like Ireland. There would be up to 400 possible combinations of language interpretation.
"A distinction will have to be made between official and working languages," he said. If the system stays the same, the organisation wants Irish to have official and working status.
Ms Caitríona Ní Cheallaigh, president of the Comhdháil, asked the Forum on Europe to recommend to the Government that languages be on the IGC agenda. Prof Noel Mulcahy of Fianna Fáil suggested that Irish could increase its status by being used in other ways, which would be a trade-off for not being a working language.
The Green Party suggested it was 30 years too late for Ireland to be looking for a language upgrade.