Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 16:

In page 21, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following:

"20.—Parents may opt to have the birth details of their child recorded in the Irish language and may opt to have a birth certificate issued in the Irish language.".

I am disappointed the Minister has not brought forward an amendment to deal with the request that one be permitted to register one's child's birth in both languages. We are not asking that two names be registered; we are asking that the same name be registered in two languages. People wishing to register in Irish may only register their name in English because in the past, and currently, it is of international advantage to speak English and the Irish version of names may cause problems when abroad. Some people do register their names in Irish. It is common to do so in Gaeltacht areas.

Acceptance of this amendment would facilitate and recognise both languages as the official languages of this nation and would provide parents with an opportunity to register a name in the first language of the State. I thought, on Committee Stage, that the Minister was sympathetic to the view that we should develop every opportunity to be bilingual. It is interesting that the Genealogical Society of Ireland has pointed out that 90% of the 166 Deputies listed on the website are listed by forename and surname in two official languages. The Minister assured us there was no difficulty with legal documents in this regard but the genealogical society seriously questions the possibility of legal difficulty with official documents signed by Ministers using the Irish language version of their names while their names are registered in English. The Minister stated earlier that to register in the Irish language is to register a second name. If that is her contention, then surely a person signing a document as Gaeilge is signing in a name not registered by him or her.

The dual language naming system is not unique. It is a legacy of a colonial past where English advanced at the expense of the Irish language. Our Celtic cousins in Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man share dual language naming systems. If they can operate such systems, then the one Celtic nation that has obtained full independence should provide an opportunity to register in both languages. Irish citizens should have an automatic right to register in both languages and to have such certified by the new civil registration services. This is possible without much difficulty as the registration process will be fully computerised following enactment of this legislation. Parents should be permitted to register the birth of their child using their usual surname with the option to include an Irish language version. Besides recognising the existence of these other versions of the names we use in our daily lives, the Genealogical Society of Ireland proposal provides for the production of official documents for individuals seeking to use the Irish version of their names in many documents rather than the English version as required in certain instances when a birth certificate is requested.

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