ON THE ADJOURNMENTA recess opportunity for backbenchers to air their views. This week: John Deasy argues that Éamon Ó Cuív's Bill is a backward step for the Irish language and has the potential to do more harm than good in the long run
Last year the principal of a secondary school asked me to help secure additional funding for students who wished to complete their Leaving Cert through Irish. The secondary school, which is situated beside a successful Gaelscoil, only had enough money to fund Irish-speaking students through second year.
The principal made what I thought was a reasonable argument for the additional money. He couldn't understand why the Government had invested in Gaelscoileanna when they weren't prepared to fund the completion of studies in Irish at the secondary school level. In his mind, the money and effort invested in the Irish language was being wasted. What was the point in nurturing Irish speakers up to the age of 13 and then abandoning the whole thing? It didn't make any sense.
I was surprised therefore a few weeks ago to be handed a Waterford County Council memorandum which outlined certain provisions of the Official Languages Act which was enacted last year. The Bill was introduced as a measure to give equal status to Irish. What does that mean, you might ask? More than you might think.
From now on, every public body and organisation in the State, including councils, health boards and all development agencies, have to translate documents such as annual reports and other publications into Irish. Generally speaking, these documents are not widely read. The average cost for translating such documents is around €15 for every 100 words. The Local Government Management Services Board has estimated this initial measure will cost €9.3 million and an additional €7.5 million per annum. It's a monumental waste of money and will do nothing to preserve the Irish language.
In Waterford County Council, the draft County Development Plan had to be sent to the translators at a cost of €8,000. It has delayed the council's most significant development document for two months. Only 60 copies of the draft plan will be printed. It's also very hard to justify when the council has a massive shortfall in funds for schemes like the disabled person's grant. The Waterford example is a taste of what's happening but doesn't tell the whole story. The Official Languages Act was believed by most people to confine itself to the translation of major reports by public bodies and to ensure that individuals wishing to do business in Irish with State bodies would be facilitated. The Act goes way beyond that.
Under the initial guidelines, all cheques issued by State and public bodies have to be in Irish. All advertising, road signage including temporary roadworks and public circulars must also be in Irish.
But it's the unpublished guidelines being prepared by the Department of Rural, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs which have the potential for disaster. The Act actually covers all communications with the general public. Every communication, electronic or otherwise, from State and public bodies, may have to be translated into Irish at enormous cost.
We are looking at a situation where a two-line letter from a city council about filling a pothole will have to be translated into Irish. Already the county managers in Kerry and Roscommon have called for restraint. In Kerry this year, half of the county council's arts budget, some €100,000, was set aside for advertising and translation costs.
We can't continue to enact measures like the Official Languages Act without taking into account the economic consequences. Because no extra funding is being given to local authorities for extra costs incurred under the Act, local authorities will ultimately resort to raising rates. The cost of translating documents that no one ever reads will be passed from the council to the ratepayer to the ordinary citizen. And you wonder how things have got so expensive in this country. It's the perfect example of how government goes completely mad and you end up paying for it.
I was on a radio show recently making my case about all of this. The Minister responsible for the Official Languages Act, Éamon Ó Cuív, was listening and called in. He made two points. Firstly, that the cost of the Act was a tiny percentage of the overall Government budget. Actually, the Act will cost tens of millions at least. The additional guidelines have the potential to easily cost hundreds of millions.
Mr Ó Cuív's second point was that my party, Fine Gael, had supported the legislation through the Dáil and Seanad. In fact, all the political parties supported the Bill and we all got it wrong. Nobody can justify the expenditure of public money in this manner.
Another downside is the resentment this law is causing. Officials are incredulous when they are faced with major costs and lengthy delays caused by the translation of documents which are rarely read in their English form, never mind Irish. The Roscommon county manager, John Tierney, recently made the point that people tend to get their backs up when something is shoved down their throats. However, one well-known journalist and proponent of the Official Languages Act has claimed that opposition to the Act is inspired only by bigotry, not by reason. It was an unnecessary statement. When ratepayers realise the reason for another massive hike in their rates, the big loser will ultimately be the Irish language. Businessmen can't afford to be bigots.
During the Dáil debate on the Bill, the legislation was described as "historic" by Mr Ó Cuív. He also said the Bill was "central to the life of everybody in this country". This is possibly one of the most delusional statements ever made by a minister. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say the Act is entirely removed from the everyday lives of even most Irish speakers.
It comes down to this. Given the choice, would you use the money to ensure that a 13- year-old student can complete his/her Leaving Cert in Irish? Or would you rather that the 2004 roadworks plan for your local authority area be in Irish? The Official Languages Act makes for bad law and ignores the more obvious problems that afflict the Irish language. It has the potential to do the Irish language more harm than good in the long term.
John Deasy TD (Fine Gael) represents the Waterford Gaeltacht of An Rinn.
Next week: Sinn Féin's Martin Ferris TD