The Irish language attains full status in the European Union
The 1 January 2022 marked a historic day for the Irish language, as it was declared a full official language of the European Union. Irish is now on an equal footing with the EU’s 23 other official languages, and all EU documents will be translated into Irish.
Half a century ago, in January 1972, an Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Patrick Hillery, signed the Treaty of Accession in Brussels, and later that year, the people of Ireland voted in favour of becoming a member of the European Communities (EC). The following year, Ireland became a Member State of the EC and at that time, the Irish language was designated a Treaty Language. ,
As a result, only treaties of the Union were translated into Irish. In 2007, however, Irish was made an official working language of the EU, but it was under derogation, which meant that not all documents were translated into Irish.
50 years on from the signing of the Accession Treaty, the beginning of this year marked another major milestone in Ireland’s membership of the EU, when that derogation of the status of the Irish Language in the EU came to an end. Irish now has full official status as a working language. This comes after many years of effort to build up Irish language expertise in the EU institutions. Maynooth University has played its part in that upskilling of linguists, since the establishment of its highly successful MA/Postgraduate Diploma in Translation and Editing in 2007.
This increased status will have many implications, not only by providing increased employment opportunities for Irish linguists, but in the development of the language itself. There will be an increased need to modernise the lexicon to create new terms for the world we live in today, technological terms, for example, which were unheard of back in the days of Jack Lynch and Patrick Hillery.
Lánstádas bainte amach ag an nGaeilge san Aontas Eorpach
Ón 1 Eanáir 2022 tá lánstádas oifigiúil ag an nGaeilge agus í anois ar comhchéim leis an 23 teanga oifigiúil eile de chuid an Aontais Eorpaigh, rud a chiallaíonn go ndéanfar cáipéisí uile an AE a aistriú go Gaeilge feasta.
Leathchéad bliain ó shin, i mí Eanáir 1972, shínigh an Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, agus an tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha, Patrick Hillery, an Conradh Aontachais sa Bhruiséil, agus tráth níos déanaí an bhliain chéanna, vótáil muintir na hÉireann ar son ballraíochta sna Comhphobail Eorpacha (CE). An bhliain dár gcionn, rinneadh Ballstát de na Comhphobail Eorpacha d’Éirinn agus rinneadh Teanga Chonartha den Ghaeilge ag an am, rud a d’fhág nár aistríodh ach conarthaí an Aontais go Gaeilge. In 2007, áfach, rinneadh teanga oifigiúil oibre den Ghaeilge san AE, ach, de bharr go raibh maolú ceadaithe ina leith, níor aistríodh gach cáipéis go Gaeilge.
Caoga bliain i ndiaidh shíniú an Chonartha Aontachais, baineadh sprioc thábhachtach eile amach i dtaca le ballraíocht na hÉireann san AE ag tús na bliana seo, nuair a tháinig deireadh leis an maolú sin i leith stádas na Gaeilge san AE. Tá lánstádas oifigiúil ag an nGaeilge anois mar theanga oibre. Is mar thoradh ar bhlianta fada a chaitheamh ag déanamh iarrachtaí saineolas na Gaeilge sna hinstitiúidí Eorpacha a fhorbairt a tharla sé sin. Tá a cion féin déanta ag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad maidir le hoiliúint bhreise a chur ar theangeolaithe, ó bunaíodh an MA/Dioplóma Iarchéime san Aistriúchán agus san Eagarthóireacht in 2007.
Beidh mórán impleachtaí ag baint leis an ardú atá tagtha ar stádas na teanga, ní hamháin i dtaca le breis deiseanna fostaíochta a sholáthar do theangeolaithe, ach maidir le forbairt na teanga féin. Beidh gá leis an léacsacan a nuachóiriú agus téarmaí nua a chruthú do shaol na linne seo, téarmaí teicneolaíochta, mar shampla, nach raibh aon trácht orthu nuair a bhí Jack Lynch agus Patrick Hillery ar an bhfód.