Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----he will realise just how extraordinarily ignorant it is. For example, what the Minister stated here today is that were the European Union to bring in an directive, following his good lead, to the effect that this had to be done across Europe, suddenly the label would become non-effective in Ireland because it would have to be then bilingual. The directive that forced it on the cigarette packages would force it here.

Supposing Belgium decided tomorrow to follow the good example of Ireland - as the Minister will be aware, Belgium is a rigidly bilingual society in terms of such matters - the Minister is stating the label would have no effect, that it would put everybody astray and that it would not work because it would be in French and Flemish. The Minister's own argument does not stand up to any rational scrutiny of what happens in other countries where there is a bilingual situation and where there are two official languages. It is only in Ireland that the Minister's argument washes as being a cogent one.

I certainly agree with my colleague that because of the Minister's carelessness in this issue and his attitude, which is that we love the Irish language but will not do anything practical for it, we have no choice because none of us want to hold up this Bill. I am on the record as saying that we have a major issue with alcohol in this country. Therefore, we have no choice but to accept that the Minister will not accept the amendment.

However, to think that the Minister's arguments are cogent, I have to say the more the Minister is effecting them the more he will know they were very weak because many countries have bilingual requirements and they manage to get the message across.

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