Madam, - All primary EU legislation will, from 2007, be translated into Irish. Ministers and MEPs will now have the option of speaking Irish in the various institutions.
Seán Ó Neachtain MEP, the only native Irish speaker among 732 MEPs, has expressed his delight at Irish being deemed a working language of the EU. He claims, somewhat disturbingly, that 500 employment opportunities will be created at no cost to the Irish Exchequer.
At this time of maximum cynicism towards the EU, it is unfortunate that, for this Irish Europhile, achieving maximum employment appears to constitute a justification of the State's Irish language policy, rather than achieving maximum usage.
Éamon Ó Cuív welcomes the move as "adding greatly to the status of the language". Considering that Mr Ó Cuív's most recent significant achievement was banishing "Dingle" to the rubbish bin of history, he is rightly proud.
Perhaps he might explain what this development will do to actually reinvigorate the language in Ireland's schools and communities? Will Irish men and women suddenly start speaking Irish just because the Maastricht Treaty is now available as Gaeilge
Apart from isolated pockets around the country, the language is functionally dead. The State's Irish language policy has failed dismally, and this move will succeed only in adding another layer to the Emperor's already impressive wardrobe. - Yours etc,
BEN HEADON, Raheny, Dublin 5.
A chara, - Our preference for public tokenism on the European stage regarding the national language has again won out over any real will to raise its profile in national life.
What about Irish becoming a working language of Oireachtas Éireann for even one hour a week? Maybe we should take some little steps first: what about educating many members of the said institution that the Upper House is actually called the "Seanad", and not the "Senate".
While our aspirations are now so elevated, perhaps we could teach the good folk who prepare the little name placards for members of Dáil committees that Micheál is spelt thus, and not "Michéal" as was recently seen?
Few people working for our national broadcaster can actually pronounce the town name of Dún Laoghaire; the rest are allowed to promulgate a pidgin interpretation. Can you imagine someone in the BBC having free reign to rechristen the cities of the Kingdom at their whim?
While our gaelscoileanna cry out for a helping hand, we can instead read the latest European grape-crushing directives "as Gaeilge" to satisfy our shallow notions of nationhood. - Is mise,
TED NEVILLE, Douglas, Co Cork.
Madam, - According to the Taoiseach, it followed nearly two years of discussions and lobbying by Irish Government Ministers, politicians and officials.
According to Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, our Permanent EU Representative was "absolutely magnificent" in co-ordinating endless negotiations with our EU partners, the outcome of which remained uncertain until Monday."
What was this Herculean quest? The alleviation of world hunger? The pursuit of world peace? Was it Dingle's (sorry, An Daingean's) bid to host the 2016 Olympics? No. It was getting our EU partners to recognise Irish as a working European language.
The amadáns: don't they realise that Irish is not a working language even in the Connemara Gaeltacht? Our appetite for self-delusional fantasy is truly breathtaking. - Yours, etc,
DICK KEANE, Silchester Park, Glenageary, Co Dublin.
Madam, - The Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern who, I assume, is fluent in the Irish language, has said it was difficult to get the agreement of some members of the EU to make Irish one of its official languages.
I'm not surprised. Many in the EU must be aware that members of our national parliament, to put it mildly, are far from fluent in our first language.
In fact there have been occasions when members of the Dáil, wishing to escape the immediate wrath of colleagues, have made unpopular statements in Irish, secure in the knowledge they will not be understood by many TDs.
While the expenditure of millions of euro in this latest example of tokenism towards the restoration of the Irish language will create some jobs for those with Leaving Cert Irish, could the money not be better spent?
Have we not already got enough unnecessary bureaucracy in the EU impeding its progress? - Yours, etc,
TONY MORIARTY, Shanid Road, Dublin 6W.