Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests and thank them for their contributions. Each of the speakers is committed to the promotion of the Irish language, but there is a different emphasis on the part of each of them. The 20 year strategy was published three years ago and promoted by Deputy Eamon Ó Cuív. He attended the meeting earlier but had another commitment at 1 p.m. and was not able to return. The 20 year strategy supports the introduction of an Irish language Act in Northern Ireland. It is something I fully support. Much preparatory work and homework must be done and perhaps it might be accelerated in order that it will not be an imposition on those who do not want to speak the language but a support for those who want to speak it.