Vol. 501 No. 6
130 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the proposals to have an executive authority arising from the Good Friday Agreement to deal with matters of heritage and the Irish language on an all Ireland basis. [6613/99]
Yesterday, together with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I signed an Agreement between the Irish and British Governments establishing six North-South Implementation Bodies under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. The Agreement in question has been laid in the library of the Houses of the Oireachtas. Among the six new North-South institutions being established is a body on language, one part of which will comprise an agency devoted to the promotion of the Irish language on a North-South basis. The functions and scope of the Irish Language Agency are set out in the Agreement which I signed yesterday. This Agreement will be given domestic effect in legislation which is being introduced in the Dáil today.
I welcome the establishment of the language body for the important part it can play in meeting the commitments to support the Irish language in the Good Friday Agreement. The language body will have an important role in regard to the general promotion of the Irish language on the island, but most particularly in Northern Ireland. For the first time there will be specific budgetary provisions for the Irish language in Northern Ireland. This represents a very fundamental change in the position of the language there and demonstrates clearly the inclusive nature of the new structures now being established. I also welcome the opportunity the language body will provide to promote a greater awareness of Ulster-Scots culture.
