Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I was going to just rise to support the amendment. Others are talking about various issues, but the net issue atá soiléir dúinn ná go bhfuil dualgas orainne san Oireachtas áiseanna a chur ar bun chun go mbeadh sé ar chumas saoránach ar fud na tíre an teanga Gaelainne a úsáid más mian. We talk a lot about the use of the Irish language, and we pass laws, but I am not sure we really mean it. That is the point that is at the core of it in terms of so many different State organisations. It is not convenient to provide services in Irish, but that is not the point. Wales is bilingual. We must all work harder to ensure that if we are saying to people who want to carry on their lives as Gaeilge that the services of the State, whether it is ó thaobh an dlí, ó thaobh an oideachais nó ó thaobh aon rud eile, go mbeadh ar chumas na daoine sin an Ghaelainn a úsáid. We must do that by ensuring the institutions of the State provide those services. In and of itself, it might be a narrow amendment, but it is a very profound and groundbreaking one.

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