Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

I agree with Senators who have spoken about Irish being finally recognised at EU level. We can join together in a proud manner in this House because we have set the precedent of not turning the Irish language into a political football. I commend Senator Brian Hayes on facilitating the joint debate and also Senator ÓMurchú. One of the commercial reasons for having Irish recognised as an official language is that Irish graduates coming out of university will be in a position to apply for jobs in Brussels and Strasbourg without having to have French, German or Spanish. Irish and English will suffice and this is a tremendous boost for the Irish language.

To follow on from this liathróid pholaitiúil, I would like to make a point with regard to the debate on placenames, specifically Dingle. All we are calling for on this side of the House is further consultation at a local level. There is a commercial angle to the issue. If the Minister is prepared, with the stroke of a pen, to rebrand Dingle as An Daingean, he must facilitate some sort of intervention and put money into the rebranding of Dingle. Rebranding is not easy and it costs money. Whether we like it or not Dingle is a brand name and there are many commercial reasons for keeping it. There are also commercial opportunities if we try to pump money into rebranding it as An Daingean.