Dr. Niall Comer:

An-deas an cheist sin a chur agus arís, is ceist an-tábhachtach ar fad í. It is an important question because the demand and need for legislation has come from the Irish language community and the broader community. I think it is important we assess the reaction of that community to legislation that has not been fully implemented or has not been, in some cases, implemented at all. The first word is there is quite a lot of frustration among the Irish language community. That frustration can be seen not just in the North. We see aspects of Irish language legislation that should be implemented in the South that are not fully implemented. There is a sense of frustration and of being promised certain things for want of votes during election campaigns etc. There is still a level of cynicism within the community.

It makes us feel to a large extent like second-class citizens in our own country. That is important. No citizen of Ireland should feel that way because he or she speaks the national language of the country. Bear in mind that the Irish language should have official recognition in the North under the New Decade, New Approach agreement. That is unthinkable. When this is explained to, for example, journalists from other countries, they are aghast and have a sense that it is ludicrous that this should be the case. There is frustration and, in many cases, anger.

We are aware that neither the New Decade, New Approach deal nor the legislation promised previously are perfect but it is a start. There is a feeling in the Irish language community that we have pushed the door open and are moving to a position to further this. This is where support from the Irish Government is key. The Good Friday Agreement was signed by both Governments and is an international agreement. Therefore, it is incumbent on all signatories to play their part. Instead of shying away from the provisions within the agreement, the Irish Government should be proactive in seeking this out. We should not tiptoe around the issue. While there is no question but that there will be political opposition, that should not stop the Government from pursuing this and from challenging the prejudices that exist against the language. Many of these prejudices come from an absolute lack of education. I hope that answers the Senator's question. It is an important question but frustrachas and frustration is the main thing.