Allister lambasts decision on Irish
14 June 2005
DUP MEP Jim Allister today said,
"Today's decision to elevate Irish as an official language of the EU is a gross waste of public money for the basest of political reasons. What we have here is the outworking of a Gaelic ego-trip by those who thrive on a pretence of being deprived.
It is also important to note the precedent which such a step will create for other secondary and regional languages. There are 3 regional languages from Spain campaigning for recognition and if Irish becomes an official working language then their case is unanswerable, for they are living, not dead languages. This matter is getting out of hand. All Irish MEPs have English as their first language and for 25 years have found it more than adequate. We already have 20 languages in the EU, all with immense translation costs, now, pressurised by Sinn Fein, the Irish Government has put pursuit of republican ideology above pragmatic common sense and fiscal responsibility."
