Ireland seeks to make Irish 21st EU language

LONDON -- Ireland said yesterday it wants Irish to be made the 21st official language of the European Union.

Eamon O'Cuiv, minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht [Irish speaking areas], said the government would lobby for Irish to be given full "working language" status, which would allow people to speak it in the European parliament.

"People fully recognize the importance of the Irish language as part of the rich cultural heritage we have," he said. "The next step is to go and talk to all the other member states and to evaluate their reaction."

In Brussels, European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer declined to comment.

Irish speakers say the EU's enlargement from 15 to 25 members in May offers a good backdrop for a renewed push for change.

However, some EU officials privately complain that the EU's expansion has turned it into a Tower of Babel. The number of official languages rose from 11 to 20 as of May 1, prompting the EU to ask bureaucrats to cut their verbiage to save translation costs.

Irish has enjoyed a revival in the last 50 years, helped by dedicated television and radio broadcasts and laws to promote its use. The government says 41 percent of the 4 million population can speak it. Ireland chose English as its working language when it joined the European bloc in 1973.