EU Foreign Ministers have decided that official and working status is to be given to the Irish language by the European Union from 1st January 2007, making it the 21st official language of the EU. According to this RTE report, that means at ministerial level, provision will be made for Irish to be spoken at council meetings, requiring 20-30 translators.. and costing £3.5million 3.5million [D’oh!] each year.. Hmm.. so that’s what Maria, at Crooked Timber, means by “boondoggle”.. Dermot Ahern, among others, has welcomed today’s unanimous decision, and we’re also struck by FG’s response – “regardless of its status at EU level, preserving the language has to begin at home.” I’d also recommend the argument against this pork-barrel politics... Now.. when’s the referendum, Bertie? Update About EU has other reaction. Update again Back Seat Driver, Dick O’Brien, adds his thoughts
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Willow
“If it costs 3.5m, then it would be a disgrace. I am speaking conditionally: stop altering the meaning of what I say.”
I am not trying to alter what you say. Welsh WOULD cost as much as 3.5m (it’s a fair assumption) and I was just trying to see where you stood on that issue.
“my comments have related solely to this particular situation under discussion.”
I know, that’s exactly what I am addressing. You think it’s a waste spending this money on Irish in the EU and I just want to see if that also applies to Welsh?
It’s fair to assume they cost about the same. Welsh demand is probably a bit more but in both cases the demand is still quite low.
No need for apologies Willow. I think this strand of the discussion has run full course anyway.
I am not trying to alter what you say. Welsh WOULD cost as much as 3.5m (it’s a fair assumption) and I was just trying to see where you stood on that issue.
How is it a fair assumption? Allowing for a gross salary of 50 euro, 3.5m represents 70 people! There’s no way 70 people are employed translating government documents into Welsh!
Willow
You might have to redo your maths. Irish will require 20-30 people, does that mean their gross salary is 117K-175K? Much of this 3.5m must go elsewhere.
Regarding the actual number of people required … when the new states joined the EU and added these new official languages I read that each new language required 110 translators & 40 interpreters …
To answer your question I am just assuming that Welsh would have similar requirements to Irish, similar number of translators etc. I don’t see why Welsh would require/cost even less.
3.5m represents 70 people!
Don’t know whether this makes it better or worse – but the figure I heard is 30 people
I’d find it hard to believe there weren’t 30 people involved in translation documents into Welsh
Willowfield
“Another lie…”.
Once again, boring and repetitive, and further evidence that you are unwilling, or unable, to engage in any kind of interesting debate.
There is a touch of Mr Vibrating about your style, normally I’d find that engaging. But in your case the absence of intelligence and wit makes it tedious.
When you lie, don’t complain when it’s pointed out.
You have contributed nothing of value to this thread. You have not expressed an opinion. You have not engaged with an argument. All you have done is make assumptions based on sectarian prejudice, tell lies and engage in personal abuse.
You STILL haven’t even attempted to respond to my alternative proposal for enabling Gaelic speakers to read EU documents.
The debate is there for you to join if you wish. If not, don’t sully the thread with your abuse and dishonesty.
well said,biffo
Now if the UK left the EU, then this argument would become irrelevant.
It is just another example of wasting money in the EU, which will in the end collapse due to its own bureaucracy and self importance not to mention having discredited leaders like Chirac supporting it.
I don’t care which languages they use in the EU I just want out of it.
What about spending the money on:-
1 Teaching the the republic to speak English- anywhere outside Dublin 4 is an incoherent babble. I have just returned from Limerick where the language barrier was great than in the week previous in France.
2 Investing in speech therapy/training to prevent Barbie de Brun from sounding like the man who offers me a “saler cote for the drive sor”
(Try to match the levels of lasnguage with the Armani)
if Barnshee speaks as badly as he writes, there’s no wonder that there’s a language barrier between himself between the good people of Limerick.
Olibhear
Can speak
English (native )
French & German (Degree 2.1)
Spanish (not bad -no formal quals)
Can order food and drink successfully in Italian
However I had considerable difficulty in deconstructing the responses in Stab City, they however had no problem understanding my (modest) requests
Typing however not so good !!
What part of my post is unclear -perhaps I can elucidate?
Willowfield wrote
You [Biffo] STILL haven’t even attempted to respond to my alternative proposal for enabling Gaelic speakers to read EU documents.
The proposal was for on demand translation.
However, if I need a document (legislation) tomorrow and ask for it today, which is likely to happen in, say a court case:
If it has to be translated on demand, first of all a translator has to be found. Good translators in any language are hard to find, and therefore busy. It will take 2-3 weeks to find the translator, several days to get the legislation translated, and several weeks more to have it approved.
That effectively denies me the translation.
Also, if the EU has a translation staff, they will build up over time a vocabulary to deal with the recurring elements (of which there are many in legislation), and the overall qulaity of documents will be better. In the context of Irish language legislation being prevailing in the 26 counties, this is important – conflicting translations of similar passages would cause an expensive field day for the lawyers….
I think Willowfields suggestion would be more costly in the long term.
BTW, there are 50 people employed by the Welsh Office Translation Unit
http://www.wales.gov.uk/organipo/content/pgfa/proc-c19-e.htm
And they have to contract out work…