There must be an election coming; the Government is speaking about Irish. Many people will greet the Government's statement on the Irish language and its 13 (unlucky 13?) guiding principles with the usual mixture of weary cynicism and dark optimism. Pól Ó Muirístruggles to raise a cheer for the Government's latest efforts on Irish
The statement of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that "the Irish language has a special position in the life of the nation" is a line as traditional and as painless as Nollaig shona.
Still, the Taoiseach's affirmation of the language's value will be welcomed: "The challenge for the State is to make the Irish language available as widely as possible and to leave it as a choice for the citizen as to how they wish to engage with the Irish language when dealing with the State . . . It is a choice for the citizen, whether they wish to interact with the State in Irish or English. Our job is to make this choice available, as far is practical."
There are the key words: challenge, choice and practical. How will the State realise the Sisyphean task of rolling the language uphill day and daily in coming decades?
The proof of the (Christmas) pudding will be the proposed 20- year strategy, based on the 13 principles, with two main aims: to create a fully functioning bilingual society - as opposed to the partially functioning one that currently exists - and to underpin the Gaeltacht as an Irish-speaking community.
As it stands, the principles laid out are vague enough in character to let the Government blow its own language trumpet while not committing it to too much further action.
Language groups will be happy about the support for the language in legislation, in the Gaeltacht and in the education system but may not be as happy to see the Government's continued endorsement of Foras na Gaeilge, for example.
Foras na Gaeilge was the cross-Border language body set up as a sop to Sinn Féin as part of the Belfast Agreement and is an extremely blunt and bureaucratic instrument which enjoys little support among the State's voluntary language groups.
In its short history, Foras na Gaeilge has been involved in rows over recruitment and funding; it has failed to publish regular annual reports and accounts and has still not provided a corporate strategy of its own - a basic requirement for an organisation with a budget of almost €20 million.
It is neither dynamic nor proactive yet the Government sees no contradiction in endorsing both it and the voluntary sector which is being slowly strangled by the dead hand of the self-same Foras na Gaeilge.
It is not surprising either that the Government is keen to emphasise that 43 per cent of the State's population have an "ability to speak Irish" but do not draw attention to the other 57 per cent who do not - despite having being educated in the State.
Minister for the Gaeltacht Éamon Ó Cuív was certainly right in saying that "great progress" has been made in the promotion of Irish.
He has been a diligent advocate of the language and has, after a slow start, been the most effective Minister for the Gaeltacht the State has seen. It is fitting that he is getting support from Ahern and other ministers on this issue.
However, it is almost by accident that the Government has begun to realise that language is a cradle to grave issue; that there is no sense educating children in Irish at primary level unless it is also done at secondary level and there is no sense doing it at secondary level if the opportunities are not there at third level.
Similarly, there is no sense educating them at all unless jobs are available in a wide range of areas - be it in the Civil Service, TG4 or in Brussels.
Ó Cuív believes that the plan lays "a foundation for a new policy on which practical action with regard to the Irish language, based on a modern approach and a complete strategy, will be established".
It will be at least two years before we see what that "complete strategy" will entail.
Until then, it is very much a case of "coinnigh do mhisneach" or keep the faith.
Pól Ó Muirí is Irish Language Editor of The Irish Times