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Official Languages Act

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  • 24-06-2006 12:07pm
    #1
    Cork
    Registered Users Posts: 3,924 ✭✭✭


    Has the Official Languages Act made a difference?

    Is there similar measures in other countries? eg. New Zealand?

    Has anybody tried getting public services in Irish?

    I think the Official Languages Act is a good thing.


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    #2
    NADA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 636 ✭✭✭NADA


    My Dad works in DKIT. A guy was telling him he had to get the prospectus and everything else into Irish now. Of course they didn't want to do it as it's a complete waste of money and everybody understood the english anyway.Under the Language Act they are obliged to but something happened and they don't have to.


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    #3
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭flogen


    I think, and it's something I've said before, that the only way to actually improve the situation is to bring the same measures into the private sector too; perhaps provide incentives for the hiring for bi-lingual staff etc. as well, but that would be a huge effort, very expensive and possibly damaging too.

    Frankly no single measure will improve the stanadard or scope of Irish, there needs to be a complete rethink on the tactics used in every section of Irish life


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    #4
    Gael
    Registered Users Posts: 1,286 ✭✭✭Gael


    Cork wrote:
    Has the Official Languages Act made a difference?

    Is there similar measures in other countries? eg. New Zealand?

    Has anybody tried getting public services in Irish?

    I think the Official Languages Act is a good thing.

    First of all, don't get too ahead of yourself. The act was only passed in 2003, only began to be implemented in 2004 and will not be fully implemented until 2007. So it is a bit early to assess it's full impact.

    That said, it is the first piece of legislation to make good the definition of the status of Irish in the constitution. That definition meant nothing without the necessary legislation to underpin it. It doesn't say much for FF that it took them until 2003 to implement such legislation, but better late than never.

    It does bring in two very important elements; an Ombudsman for Irish Languages Services and a Language Rights Charter which informs people in very simple terms what they are entitled to in terms of Irish language services form the state.

    As regards whether it's having a positive effect, well I remember reading one report that demand for Irish languages services in Donegal for instance had jumped over 60% in the space of a year. Reports on progress can probably be found on the Coimisinéir na Teanga Website given above.

    As regards other countries, why did you mention New Zealand? I've never gotten the impression that New Zealand was particular to the fore in bi-lingualism, though I stand open to correction.

    As it happens I know that while drafting the legislation Éamon Ó Cuív and co. did visit Canada to examine the nature of their bi-lingual legal system there. So (French-)Canada is probably the nearest comparision I'd say.


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