LL-L "Language politics" 2004.12.15 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 15.DEC.2004 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Gavin Falconer <Gavin.Falconer at gmx.net>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2004.12.15 (02) [E]

Críostóir said:

"It is the case with Irish that, according census after census, the further
you progress in the official education system, the more likely you are to
know Irish. (Certain occupations, such as teachers and gardai - i.e.,
police - report 70-90 per cent Irish speakers.) Given that most members of
the Irish Parliament, itself called Dáil Éireann (Teachtai Dála or TDs) are
educated to university level or beyond, most would also know Irish, and a
substantial minority would be fluent, with smaller numbers being actual
native speakers. Because of these realities, Irish is not translated into
English when it is used in the Dáil (quite aside from it being the first
official language that all public representatives should know and use). It
is simply taken as a given that Irish will be understood. I cannot remember
any TD ever asking for a translation into English from Irish, and debates in
Irish are frequent enough.

There was minor controversy in the northern assembly when certain members
insisted (quite rightly) on using Irish, with the unionist members howling
them down and demanding they speak English. But even there translation was
never put into the debate: it was more a matter of unionist members not
wanting Irish used at all in the chamber on grounds of linguistic
chauvinism. Ulster Scots, when it is used, is not translated either."

Simultaneous translation actually is provided in the Houses of the
Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) for Irish, but, perhaps partly because of a
reluctance on the part of Members to admit to needing it, it is very rarely
used by them.  In my experience most Members can speak Irish reasonably well
and many use it unscripted.  There are also a few native speakers.

Simultaneous translation for Irish was provided almost from the inception of
the Northern Ireland Assembly.  Later, following a complaint by Ian Paisley
Junior, the service was extended to cover the local dialect of Scots, but in
both cases earphones were only for the Speaker and Clerk.  Of course, it
could have been extended to all Members for very little extra cost, but the
issue was never pressed, probably partly for political reasons and partly
because many users of Irish, and all the users of Scots, would not have
liked to have been forced to make more use of the languages in question than
they did already; it is considerably easier to read a language from a script
than debate in it.

All Irish and Scots used in the Assembly was immediately translated by users
as a courtesy to other Members.  The simultaneous translation of Irish was
there only to allow the Speaker to see if Standing Orders were being broken.
 The simultaneous translation of Scots was provided primarily for political
reasons; it was used very seldom in comparison with Irish, and good,
mainstream, non-politicised Scots read with a modicum of Sprachgefuehl
should in any case have a large, though by no means complete, degree of
mutual intelligibility with English.  Sadly, that was never the case.

It is worth stressing that at any time during the life of the Assembly a
Member could have refused to provide a courtesy translation, thereby
necessitating the extension of translation services to all Members.  There
may have been an unspoken understanding between the parties not to do so.
On one occasion a Member of the SDLP fluent in Irish answered off the cuff
and promptly forgot what he had said, causing complaints from Unionists.  An
English translation was later provided in the Official Report.

--
All the best,

Gavin

Gavin Falconer

"Tharfor wordly happe es ay in dout
Whilles dam fortune turnes hir whele about."

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