Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 7 June 2017

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union

Engagement with All-Island Bodies

10:00 am

Photo of Michelle MulherinMichelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom fíor fáilte a chur roimh na finnéithe. Leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh as Béarla. Gabh mo leithscéal. In general I would first like to agree with the Acting Chairman's comments that we take so much for granted. We are looking at the North-South context but the Irish language is part of our culture and it is a window and an opportunity to look at our identity and our origins. There is so much to it that it is good to support the language at every opportunity we can. I can well understand how, this far back from the North, people from a nationalist background would hold dear to the language as part of their identity. It is not an affront to somebody else's identity but nonetheless it deserves to be supported. I have one question on the subject. I know that at the very least there is a war of words in respect of an Irish language Act in the North. I do not know that much about it but I wonder what would be the impact on what we are discussing here today, how it would impact on Mr. Ó Coinn's work and whether that is the sort of legislation he is proposing to protect and enhance the status of the language. Is this, in effect, what he is talking about?

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