Council Spends €125,000 translating documents into Irish - Gazette

Fingal County Council spent €125,000 on translation services in little over a year in order to fulfill a government requirement that all core documents be available in Irish. The information was supplied in response to questions at a recent council meeting, including one from Fine Gael Councillor Kieran Dennison.

Cllr. Dennison has called on the government to suspend these requirements until the economic crisis has passed. “It’s time now for the council to concentrate resources on core services. The Irish Language Act was a hobbyhorse of Minister Eamonn O’Cuive and is a luxury we can no longer afford. Bear in mind that these costs are multiplied across all public bodies and run into millions of euro that could be much better spent. For example, hundreds of copies of the Irish language version of the last county development plan are gathering dust in an office in County Hall while across in Parslickstown old people must endure damp and drafty housing because funding has run out.”

Under the Officials languages Act all core documents must be published simultaneously in Irish and English. A panel of translators formed in mid 2008, has cost €45,000 to date. Public bodies are also required to adopt an Irish Language Scheme, which commits the Council to promoting the Irish language. This cost the council €81,500 over the last eighteen months in salary and training costs alone.