*Ø* Possiblity of Irish as official EU language welcomed

From the Irish Times:

"The Irish language campaign group Stadas has expressed 'delight' at the Government's decision to seek approval for Irish as an official EU language, writes Lorna Siggins, Western Correspondent

"The decision taken at Cabinet yesterday is seen as a victory for the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, who said that there was 'unanimous' support among his colleagues for the move. 'This will put Irish on a par with Finnish, Swedish, Danish and Maltese, if it is successful, and we are confident that it will be,' he said.

"Currently, Irish is given treaty status, which only obliges the EU to translate all major treaties into the language. Irish and Luxemburgish are the only national languages in the EU which do not enjoy official status in European institutions. Such status would require EU laws and official documents to be issued in Irish, although the main languages for negotiations at Commissioner-level will still be English, French and German."

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