David Norris (Independent)

Yes, the subtitles. They are fine documentaries on that station. The Minister is being sensible and practical in this Bill unlike other elements within the Government. I completely agree with Senator O'Toole that the narrow fanatical pushing of the placename issue over the heads of local people is disastrous. It is what gets people's backs up against the language. That should not be done. We need to coax and encourage people by giving them cartoons, soap operas, the news and weather forecast in Irish and thereby creating a living culture in the language.

There was a controversy over the question of Irish being made one of the official languages of the European Union and the legislation that was passed here requiring all legislation to be translated into Irish. The Taoiseach raised this matter in the other House and complained because of newspaper reports of enormous amounts — I forget whether it was €50,000, €100,000 or €500,000 — for translating some obscure European legislation, but that should not stand unchallenged on the record. I understand that the person in charge of the translation service came back with an answer which put it in a rather different context and the sum involved was comparatively moderate.

It is also important to recognise that by providing jobs we are encouraging the language, and we should do that. I am all in favour of measures, even if they are a little expensive, that provide jobs and a career pattern for people who learn and love the Irish language and subsequently they find there is a job for them within that cultural context. I approve of that and am prepared to go quite a long way, particularly in these day of State affluence, to support that.

However, this Bill addresses a situation which is the opposite of that. It does not help people to get jobs rather it inhibits them and, worse than that, it inhibits a very fine university such as University College Galway from getting the best people on its academic staff. In an international market, particularly when one is dealing with research, by making the capacity to teach through the medium of Irish a criterion, one is disastrously narrowing the market. This would be a real pity, particularly because UCG has such a distinguished record in a variety of subjects. I can think immediately of the department of oceanography there, which is remarkable and a world leader. I know that Professor William Schabas, an internationally distinguished lawyer specialising in human rights is a member of the legal section in UCG. I doubt very much if he is fluent in the Irish national tongue.

It would have been a dreadful mistake not to get the services of people such as that simply on the narrow basis that they do not know the Irish language. This involves a recognition that the Irish language has not survived completely as a current language. If somebody from the international academic community was applying for a job in another country such as France, that person would have to learn the language not only for use during the hours of teaching but to conduct telephone conversations, travel on a bus or go shopping. That does not happen here. We must be realistic and accept that, alas, Irish is not an everyday language here. Perhaps it will come back as a kind of co-partner with English and that is for what we must hope.

That was acknowledged in the Minister's opening speech, the language of which was quite careful. She concluded by saying that the Bill before the House "represents a significant step forward in modernising our education system while demonstrating an ongoing commitment" to the language. I can recognise the dying fall in such comments. It is clear from the tone of the Minister's remarks that the Government is shedding some of its attachment to the slightly fanatical view of the Irish language, which is to be welcomed. I do not think such progress necessarily represents a danger to the language.

The Minister indicated that the initiative for the changes being made in this legislation came from University College Galway, rather than being imposed by the Minister for Education and Science. It is to be welcomed as an example of real democracy. The same cannot be said about the cack-handed nonsense about placenames. The Minister, Deputy Hanafin, responded to a request from the academic community.

I know of a number of cases of really good people who were not appointed to positions at University College Galway because they did not meet the university's language requirements. It is a real pity that there is a track record of jobs being denied to people from whose work the university would have benefitted. I am delighted that UCG has developed a series of educational satellites in its hinterland. I was not aware that such work was in progress. I was particularly pleased to learn about the existence of Áras Uí Cadhain because I remember very well the late Máirtín Ó Cadhain, a remarkable man who taught Irish at Trinity College for many years. He wrote a great surrealist novel, Cré na Cille, which unfortunately has not enjoyed the wider market it would have enjoyed if it had been written in English.

As a representative of Trinity College, which is one of University College Galway's sister universities, I welcome the sensitive treatment of Irish in UCG. Trinity College has a long history of cherishing the Irish language. I understand that the first established chair of Irish was in Trinity College. Bishop Bedell translated the Bible and the book of prayer, although I do not think there was a great deal of appetite for the latter. I am not sure whether there was much appetite for the Irish version of the Bible. The first font of Irish letters was developed at Trinity College. I regret that we abandoned the use of the lovely and distinctive cló-Gaelach, but I suppose that is progress. While I lament the abandonment of the cló-Gaelach, I do not doubt that the Bill before the House represents progress. It will make it easier to put in place a recruitment policy that will ensure the best talent is attracted to UCG, which is a very fine university of which we all can be proud.