Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 Jun 1964

Vol. 210 No. 7

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Language Revival.

9.

Mr. McQuillan

asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware of the campaign by a joint committee of various organisations to secure signatures by a household canvass to a document relating to the Irish language; that it seems to be the proposal of this committee to present the signatures so secured to the Government as a valid reason for requiring the Government to take a line of action in accordance with the committee's wishes; and whether in order to provide proper statutory safeguards for ascertaining the people's wishes on this matter and to meet the obvious dangers inherent in the present campaign, the Government will take steps to initiate a referendum on the matter; or whether the Government are prepared to take other steps to secure an accurate reflection of the people's wishes.

10.

Mr. Byrne

asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider the immediate desirability of holding an official referendum on the question of the Irish language revival having regard to the unofficial census of opinion which is at present being sought from the public and which may bring misleading results on many grounds, particularly owing to the lack of full knowledge of the repressive nature of the recommendations in the Report of the Commission on the Restoration of the Irish language by those now purporting to support a petition for its implementation.

Mr. MacEntee (for the Minister for Finance)

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I will take questions Nos. 9 and 10 together.

I am aware of the campaign mentioned by the Deputies, which apparently includes an unofficial canvass or census of opinion. I am not prepared to comment on their interpretation of the organisers' intentions.

As regards holding a referendum on the matter of the Irish language, there are established parliamentary procedures for deciding questions of policy and we should in my view be slow to depart from these procedures.

Mr. Sweetman

Could the Minister tell us why this question is within the sphere of the Minister for Finance? I should have thought that it would have been for the Minister for Education?

The Taoiseach

He is the coordinating Minister.

Mr. Byrne

Is the Minister aware——

Mr. Sweetman

I thought you were supposed to do that.

The Taoiseach

In so far as the report contains recommendations——

Mr. Byrne

——that people are being bluffed and cajoled into signing a cleverly-worded petition in ignorance of its full implications? Is there not constitutional machinery for consulting the people in these matters and is this not an obvious case for availing of that machinery?

Mr. MacEntee

I am surprised to find a Deputy with the name "Byrne" talking about bluffing and cajoling the people.

Mr. Byrne

What does the Minister mean by that?

Mr. MacEntee

Think it over.

Mr. Casey

Is the Minister aware that any of us who have signed it have not signed it without reading it and without knowing its full implications?

Mr. McQuillan

In view of the fact that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction on this matter in the public mind, especially among people who would like to see the Irish language revived and resuscitated in a proper manner with the goodwill of the majority of the people, would the Minister not agree that the attitude that has been adopted, where school children have been deliberately given a document to sign, which they do not know the meaning of, and then having signed it are informed that this is to help the revival of the language——

An Ceann Comhairle

This is clearly an argument.

Mr. McQuillan

These are facts.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy is making an argument, he is not asking for information of the kind envisaged by Standing Orders.

Mr. McQuillan

I am asking the Minister, in view of the situation that has been created, would it not be far more satisfactory to have a referendum?

An Ceann Comhairle

Surely that is an argument?

Mr. MacEntee

I have already answered the substance of the long supplementary question which the Deputy put. I pointed out that there is a procedure for the holding of a referendum and that in this case people are merely being asked to express their desire that the Irish language should be made a living thing amongst us. If the Deputy objects to that, I am sorry.

Mr. McQuillan

I do not know what the Minister has in mind or what interpretation he is trying to put on my remarks. Will the Minister take it from me that quite a large section of the people who are really as interested as those referred to in the question in the revival of the language believe that this is not an accurate or proper way to go about the question and that the proper way is to have a national referendum? Will the Taoiseach—to whom I addressed the question—accept responsibility for such a grave matter as this?

An Ceann Comhairle

Question No. 11.

Mr. McQuillan

Is there any answer from the Taoiseach? I did not put down this question to the Minister for Finance.

Mr. Byrne

With your permission, Sir, and in view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I propose to raise this matter on the Adjournment.

An Ceann Comhairle

I shall communicate with the Deputy.

Mr. MacEntee

The Deputy will have a difficult task because I understand that the Minister for Finance, who would normally reply, will be in the Seanad.

Mr. T. Lynch

He can come down. We can ask him to reply in Irish.

Mr. J. Lynch

If Deputy Lynch makes his case in Irish, I am sure he will.