Having chided Bertie Ahern last week, during a speech in Strasbourg, over the Irish Government's push to see millions of Euros wasted by making Irish an official working language of the EU, DUP Member of the European Parliament, Jim Allister QC, has now tabled the following question to the European Commission and European Council:

"In view of the reported suggestion that Irish should become an officially recognised language within the workings of the EU institutions could the following information be supplied:

1. Has such a proposal been formally tabled and if so, by whom?

2. The estimated annual cost of implementing such a proposal.

3. Whether any of the Irish MEPS do not speak English as their first language and/or are not fluent in English?

4. Having regard to the answer at 3 above, can it be confirmed that pragmatic necessity is a paramount determining factor, and if not, what is?

5. What are the perceived implications in terms of demands for similar treatment in respect of other minority and/or regional languages, if this proposal succeeds."

Commenting Mr Allister said, "I want to establish the precise cost involved in this Gaelic ego-trip and thereby expose the unnecessary waste of taxpayers' money which would be involved.  I am also anxious to highlight the precedent which such a step would 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 is putting pursuit of republican ideology above pragmatic common sense and fiscal responsibility."