Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Tá áthas orm bheith sa Teach anocht mar Cheannaire an tSeanaid and I have the distinction and pleasure of speaking to this motion. The Seanad is particularly suited to an all-party motion such as this one. To give credit where it is due and without wishing to show any sense of animosity, having checked the records in the Seanad Office, I found that Senator Ó Murchú first raised this matter in the House during the previous session when it received enthusiastic support from all the Opposition parties. In turn, the Government parties enthusiastically support this motion presented during Fine Gael Private Members' time. The reason the House is suited to a motion of this nature is that we can, in a spirit of consensus and by pulling together, debate an issue of major importance for this country.

We need to ask who did what in 1971. It is rather like a Hercules Poirot mystery. My belief is that an insufficient number of people did anything on this issue. Lest anybody think I have been in the Houses for so long, I was not in public life at the time — bhí mé múinteoir — and the decision in question and its significance passed me by. I believe that in the melée as we rushed towards accession and argued the merits of what we were giving and gaining from it, the important question of having Irish made an official working language — it is an official language — was abrogated.

I pay tribute to the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Not an issue of importance has been raised in this Chamber which he has not been prepared to come to the House to address when asked to do so. He has always given his best to debates. Senators will have noted from his contribution that the issue here is the use of Irish as a working language in the EU and this is what the motion is about.

While we accept that what appeared initially to have been a blanket lack of coverage has been ameliorated in the meantime, progress has not been sufficient. We should adopt this issue as a totem for the next six months. While the issues raised in the other House are not our business, having begun the crusade in this House, the matter should be taken up by the Dáil. The Forum on the Future of Europe gave us a lead and we have taken up the baton. It is now a matter for the other House to progress the matter.

There appears to be considerable goodwill in Europe on this issue. Why should this not be the case? We have proven over the years that we are good Europeans. We have taken, but we have also given. Those who point to everything we have received from Europe overlook that we were essentially real Europeans in the fullest meaning of the term and that we participated in debates, assented to change and made our point of view known. Having attended meetings of the Council of Ministers for years, there is no doubt we exerted considerable influence.

The Taoiseach will be playing a significant role on this and other issues. The question is where do we go from here. I am sure the Minister of State will see fit to press this issue and I intend to clearly state the wish of the House to the Taoiseach at a meeting next week. I believe he will do us proud, as is already the case in other areas, by making progress on the motion.

We should conduct some of our business in Irish. In case Senators think I was a poor student of Irish, I was awarded honours in leaving certificate Irish and first arts in Irish but I was never good at speaking it. I went on, however, to do other things, which is the reason I cannot address the House in Irish. Members have an opportunity to enrol in an excellent service in the Houses to become adept again in the language. I have signed up for it as an indication of good faith.

Although this issue may not be regarded as important in the labyrinth of power that is Europe, it is extremely important. The European project was founded on the basis of co-operation, ending warfare, ensuring countries would work together and giving big and small countries an equal voice. In meetings of the Council of Ministers I was always struck by the fact that I was as important as the Transport Minister of Germany or any other member state. Given that member states have an equal voice regardless of size, we should emphasise the importance of this issue. Now that we hold the Presidency, with member states flocking here rather than vice versa,we have an opportunity to do so as it gives added potency to the question, which we should use to the full.

While former Senator Pól Ó Foighíl was an excellent public representative, I do not want to take a confrontational approach. Our aim is to ensure that Irish becomes an official working language of the European Union. I am pleased to have had an opportunity to have such a good debate on this issue, regardless of the language used by Senators. We do not have to argue we are better than others because we speak better Irish. Terrific Irish has been spoken tonight. It is terrible that I could understand everything Senators said and can read any magazine or paper in Irish, ach níl mé in ann morán Gaeilge a labhairt. Although I can speak Irish at will, I do not want to show my inadequacies in it.

This is a good start to what should be a good campaign. Having heard the views of the Forum on the Future of Europe on this issue, we have now had a debate in the Seanad. The question is where do we go from here. The Minister of State and I will discuss the issue with the Taoiseach and I hope the Minister of State and others will prevail upon Teachtaí Dála to hold a debate in the other House. The case has legitimacy but this would give it an added patina or varnish in that the two Houses of the Oireachtas would be of one mind on this important issue. We have put forward the project and now wish bua agus beannacht air.