Vol. 535 No. 5
102 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will bring forward or support new EU initiatives to promote the status of minority languages and to promote tolerance and cultural diversity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11317/01]
The Deputy will be aware that the Council on 23 November approved the MEDIA PLUS programme, which will support the European film and audio-visual industry with a 400 million package over the period 2001 to 2005. Its specified objectives include: respect for and promotion of linguistic diversity in Europe; development of the audio-visual sector in countries or regions with a low capacity for audio-visual production and-or a restricted geographical and linguistic area and strengthening networking and transnational co-operation between small and medium-sized undertakings.
The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Deputy de Valera, attends the culture and audio-visual formation of the Council, which is responsible for this sector.
103 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the effect the Nice Treaty has on the status of the Irish language in the European Union; the representations he has made regarding the status of Irish in negotiating the treaty; and if the Government has satisfied itself that ratification of this treaty will confirm the status of Irish as an official working language of the EU. [11315/01]
The Nice Treaty makes no material change to the status of Irish in the European Union. Irish, while not an official or working language of the Community is one of the 12 so-called treaty languages listed in Article 314 of the treaty establishing the European Community. This means that each successive treaty is published in Irish as well as in the 11 other languages, with the texts in Irish being equally authentic and having equal status with those in all other languages. An Irish language version of the Nice Treaty has been prepared in accordance with these provisions.
More generally, the Amsterdam Treaty confirmed the right to correspond with the institutions of the European Union in any treaty language, including Irish. A declaration adopted in conjunction with the Nice Treaty calls for a response to any such correspondence to be made within a reasonable period. The Government believes that the arrangements in respect of the Irish language remain satisfactory.
104 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the support measures he expects the UK Government to implement to improve the status of the Irish language in Northern Ireland on foot of the UK Government's recent ratification of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. [11316/01]
I regard the decision on the part of the British Government to ratify the European Charter for Regional and Minority languages as a very welcome development. The charter has the potential to exert a very positive influence on the status of the Irish language within Northern Ireland. Its ratification is further evidence of the development of a new understanding, respect and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity which was called for in the Good Friday Agreement. That Agreement committed the British Government to undertake resolute action to promote the Irish language and, where possible, to remove restrictions which would discourage or work against the maintenance or development of the language. Among other measures in the Good Friday Agreement, the British Government agreed to place a statutory duty on the Department of Education of Northern Ireland "to encourage and facilitate Irish medium education in line with current provision for integrated education."
Obviously the specific measures to be taken on foot of the British Government's ratification of the charter are primarily a matter for the British authorities. I will continue to take a close interest in developments in relation to the status of the Irish language within Northern Ireland and I know that close links are maintained between the relevant Departments in the South and their counterparts in the North through the forum provided by the North-South Ministerial Council.
