Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

Tá deacracht faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla cionn is go bhfuil sé leagtha síos mar alt gur féidir le hinstitiúid ar bith iarratas a chur isteach gan bac leis an dualgas san Acht. In other words, the capacity is expressly stated in the Official Languages Act, that an institution involved may make an application to be removed from the obligation that falls on it in regard to the language. That is the difficulty. It is much better if the commitment in regard to the language is in the university's own legislation. When I listened to the arguments put forward on this point I was impressed by the fact that one cannot argue that one can run on, as it were, the obligations of the Official Languages Act and say that this deals with it. What would happen, for example, if at a time in the future a governing authority submitted an application to be relieved of this obligation? That question must be answered. It can be answered by strengthening the commitment in the University College Galway (Amendment) Bill. That is the issue.

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