Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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180. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the position taken by Ireland at the recent meeting of the European Council regarding the request from the Spanish government for Basque, Catalan and Galician to be recognised as official languages of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29333/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I wish to clarify that the proposal in question was discussed at the General Affairs Council meeting on 27 May 2025, rather than the European Council.

At this meeting, Spain presented its proposal to grant official EU language status to Basque, Catalan and Galician through an amendment to Council Regulation No 1/1958, which determines the languages to be used by the European institutions.

In advance of this discussion, both Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne TD and I engaged constructively with our Spanish counterparts on multiple occasions. These discussions were characterised by mutual respect and understanding of the cultural and linguistic sensitivities involved.

Ireland's approach to this matter reflects our longstanding commitment to multilingualism and our belief that linguistic diversity represents a fundamental strength of the European Union. We have consistently supported measures that enhance access to EU institutions for all citizens, recognising the importance of language in preserving cultural identity and facilitating democratic participation.

Irish is the first official language under our Constitution and has enjoyed treaty language status since our accession to the European Communities in 1973. This constitutional and historical context distinguishes our situation from that of the languages in question.

It should be noted that the formal consideration of the proposal was deferred to allow for this necessary preparatory work.

The Council has confirmed that this matter will be revisited at future meetings. Ireland remains committed to engaging constructively in these discussions. We will be guided by our principles of supporting linguistic diversity while respecting the distinct constitutional and legal frameworks that govern language rights across Member States.