Madam, - I wonder if we are missing the real point in the debate about Ireland's so-called bilingualism and the status of Irish as an official EU language?
On March 11th Mr Viviane Reding (European Commissioner responsible for education and culture) highlighted the importance of speaking not only English and/or Irish, but an additional two European languages in order to achieve successful European integration.
Ireland and Britain are notably lacking in this regard.
If we ignore the challenge of plurilingualism, we will shut out the perspectives and insights that other languages can offer, thereby restricting ourselves to a monolingual world-view. - Yours, etc.,
READ MORE
MAIRÉAD SEERY, Ballygurrane, Athenry, Co Galway.