Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Fair play also to Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, who brought forward legislation on this very point that would make it a requirement that the person appointed to such an important job would have Irish. The Government did not oppose it at that point. It seems to me that a lot of lip service is paid to the Irish language. However, when one considers the amount of goodwill towards NUI Galway because it is a bilingual university and because it is so associated with Irish language and culture, it is a disgrace that it would not be a requirement in the appointment of a president that that person would either have or within a very short time seek proficiency in the Irish language.