AGUS SEACHTAIN NA Gaeilge buailte linn, tá sé oiriúnach sracfhéachaint a thabhairt ar úsáid na Gaeilge ar bhonn proifisiúnta.

Is é Bunreacht na hÉireann an doiciméad dleathach is tábhachtaí sa tír seo. An doiciméad as a n-eascraíonn réimse leathan dlíthe agus a bhfuil cóip i seilbh beagnach gach dlíodóir agus abhcóide. Faoi Airteagal 8, dearbhaítear:

“Ós í an Ghaeilge an teanga náisiúnta is í an phríomhtheanga oifigiúil í”.

Agus é scríofa sa Bhunreacht, níl an dara rogha ag an rialtas ach áiseanna a chur ar fáil le go mbeadh muintir na tíre in ann a ngnó a reáchtáil trí Ghaeilge más mian leo. Agus is mian le cuid mhaith dúinn.

Níl sé mar aidhm ag an alt seo dul i ngleic leis na gnáth-argóintí seafóideacha, tuirseacha ón dream caointeach, frith-Ghaeilge. Mar dhlíodóir, táim ag iarraidh go dtabharfadh an t-alt seo léargas éigin ar thábhacht na Gaeilge agus ar an bpraiticiúlacht a bhaineann léi, go háirithe i ndlíchóras na tíre seo.

De réir Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, tá sé de cheart ag muintir na tíre teagmháil a dhéanamh le haon chomhlacht poiblí agus le haon roinn rialtais trí Ghaeilge, an tSeirbhís Chúirteanna san áireamh.

Cén mhaitheas na dlíthe seo a bheith ann gan Gaeilgeoirí a bheith ann leis na cearta seo a chomhlíonadh? Chomh maith céanna le hAire Gaeilge/Gaeltachta nach bhfuil cumas na teanga acu, ach tá an cuma ar a laghad, go bhfuilimid ag bogadh sa treo ceart leis sin ar deireadh thiar thall.

Le linn dom tréimhse cáilithe a dhéanamh mar dhlíodóir, thapaigh Dlí-Chumann na hÉireann an deis an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn. Tá cúrsa Dlí-Chleachtadh trí Ghaeilge riachtanach do gach dlíodóir faoi oiliúint, is cuma an caighdeán atá agat. Mar rogha ansin, tá an tArdchúrsa Cleachtadh Dlí as Gaeilge, modúil a roghnaigh mé féin agus cuid mhór comhghleacaithe agam. I ndiaidh dúinn an cúrsa sin a chríochnú, cuireadh san áireamh muid ar Chlár na Gaeilge, liosta dlíodóirí a bhfuil sé de chumas orthu seirbhísí a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge.

I láthair na huaire, tá ar a laghad 296 aturnaetha ar an liosta agus é ag fás gach bliain. Ar shuíomh idirlín Óstaí an Rí, tá liosta de na habhcóidí a bhfuil sé de chumas orthu cleachtadh trí Ghaeilge. Mar aon le Dlí-Chumann na hÉireann, reáchtáiltear cúrsaí cosúil leis an Ard-Dioplóma sa Dlítheangeolaíocht agus san Aistriúchán Dlíthiúil. Ní gnáth-ranganna Gaeilge atá sna cúrsaí seo ach cáilíochtaí a chinntíonn go bhfuil seirbhísí ar fáil as Gaeilge d’Éireannaigh. Is ceart bunreachtúil atá againn ar fad é sin.

Ní féidir seirbhísí trí mheán na Gaeilge a chur ar fáil gan Gaeilgeoirí cáilithe sa státseirbhís agus i ndlíchóras na tíre. Faoi Phlean Gníomhaíochta do Sheirbhísí Poiblí Gaeilge 2026-2028, tá sé mar aidhm ag an rialtas “go mbeidh 20% d’earcaigh chuig comhlachtaí poiblí inniúil i nGaeilge faoi dheireadh 2030”. Sprioc inmholta ach uaillmhianach é. Léiríonn sé seo áfach go mbeidh tóir ar Ghaeilgeoirí chun na poist seo a líonadh sa todhchaí. Ní amháin go bhfuil deiseanna do Ghaeilgeoirí anseo in Éirinn, tá gá le Gaeilgeoirí i státseirbhís na hEorpa freisin.

Ag tacú le Gaeilgeoirí 

Bíonn seimineáir á reáchtáil go rialta ag an Dlí-Chumann agus ag Óstaí an Rí maidir le gairmeacha atá ar fáil d’aturnaetha le Gaeilge san Aontas Eorpach (“AE”). Reáchtálann oifigí na n-institiúidí Eorpacha, ar nós Ionadaíocht an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh in Éirinn seimineáir chomh maith agus fógraítear iad seo go minic. Tá géarghá le Gaeilgeoirí sa Bhruiséil, i Lucsamburg agus i gcathracha eile ina bhfuil na hinstitiúidí AE lonnaithe. Bronnadh stadas oifigiúil ar an nGaeilge mar theanga de chuid an AE sa bhliain 2007. Mar aon le bunreacht na hÉireann, bhí ar an AE seirbhísí a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge agus doiciméid oifigiúla a aistriú.

Creid é nó ná chreid, ciallaíonn sé sin go bhfuil Gaeilgeoirí de dhíth! Bhíodh maolú i bhfeidhm a thug cead do na hinstitiúidí moill a chur ar sheirbhísí aistriúcháin iomlána a chur ar fáil mar gheall ar an mbuairt a bhí ann maidir le hachmhainní. Cuireadh deireadh leis an maolú sin sa bhliain 2022 agus leis sin, tháinig méadú ar an éileamh ar Ghaeilgeoirí cáilithe.

Léiríonn an mhéid seo ar fad nach brionglóid í an Ghaeilge atá ag náisiúnaithe na tíre seo atá ag iarraidh filleadh ar aimsir Pheig Sayers! Is teanga oibre í a chruthaíonn deiseanna fostaíochta. Buntáiste a ghabhann leis sin ná gur féidir le daoine páirt a ghlacadh in athbheochan ár dteanga náisiúnta. Níl ach dearfacht ag gabháil leis seo ar fad!

Go pearsanta, ní Gaeilgeoir dúchais mé. Beidh mé buíoch i gcónaí de mo thuistí as an gcinneadh a rinneadar mé féin, mo dheirfiúr agus mo dheartháir a chur ar ghaelscoil agus ar ghaelcholáiste. Beidh mé buíoch i gcónaí freisin as na múinteoirí sna scoileanna sin a chothaigh grá don teanga ionaim. Is faoi dhaoine cosúil liom féin atá sé an iarracht a chur isteach ar mhaithe lenár dteanga náisiúnta a fhorbairt agus a choinneáil i mbéal an phobail. Leis sin, caithfear na cáilíochtaí atá againn a úsáid le fás na Gaeilge a chinntiú. Is fúinne atá sé daoine a spreagadh tabhairt faoin nGaeilge ar an gcaoi chéanna gur spreagadh muidne. Tá an Ghaeilge beo, tá sí úsáideach, tá sí praiticiúil agus is linn ar fad í.

Beatha teanga, Í a labhairt.

WITH SEACHTAIN NA na Gaeilge upon us again, it is an appropriate time to explore the use of the Irish language in professional settings. Bunreacht na hÉireann is the most important legal document in this country.

A wide range of laws have developed from our Constitution, and almost every solicitor and barrister has their own copy. Under Article 8:

“The Irish language as the national language is the first official language”.

Codified in the Constitution, the government has no choice but to provide resources that enable the people of Ireland to conduct their business through Irish if they wish to do so. Many of us do wish to do so.

The aim of this article is not to address the tired, nonsensical arguments presented by the moaning, anti-Gaeilge brigade. As a solicitor, I want this article to provide some insight into the importance of Irish and into the practicality of the language, particularly within the legal system.

According to the Official Languages Act, the people of this country have the right to communicate with public companies and government departments as Gaeilge. The Courts Service is included in this.

What use are these laws in the statute book if there is a lack of Gaeilgeoirí to ensure that the right to conduct one’s business through Irish can be fulfilled? Arguably, as useful as a government minister with responsibility for the Irish language and Gaeltacht areas, but without a command of the language. We appear to be moving in the right direction on that front at least!

Solicitors with Irish

During my time training to be a solicitor, the Law Society of Ireland had already taken the opportunity to promote the Irish language to trainees. A Legal Practice Irish course is a compulsory module for every trainee solicitor as part of the Professional Practice Course.

The trainee’s standard of Irish is considered and catered for. An elective is also available – Advanced Legal Practice Irish, myself and a number of my colleagues selected this module as part of our studies. Upon successful completion of this course, we were included on the Law Society’s Clár na Gaeilge, a list of solicitors around the country who have the ability to provide services through Irish.

There are currently approximately 296 solicitors on the Clár, and that number is growing annually. Similarly, the website of the King’s Inns lists which barristers have the ability to provide services through Irish. The Inns also provides courses such as the Advanced Diploma in Lawyer – Linguistics and Legal Translation.

These are not regular Irish language classes. These courses provide an opportunity to obtain qualifications that ensure services through Irish are available to the people of this country, our constitutional right.

Services cannot be provided through Irish without qualified Irish speakers working in the civil service and in the legal system. Under the Action Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2026-2028, the government aims that “20% of those recruited to public sector bodies will be competent in Irish by the year 2030”.

This is a commendable aspiration, if a slightly ambitious one. This does show that there will be a need for Gaeilgeoirí to fill these posts. Not only do opportunities such as these for Irish speakers exist in Ireland, but they also exist in the EU civil service.

Supporting Irish speakers

The Law Society and the King’s Inns host regular seminars on the possible careers for Irish-speaking, legal eagles in the EU. Seminars are also organised by the offices of the EU institutions in Ireland, such as the European Commission Representation in Ireland and these are advertised on a regular basis.

There is great demand for Gaeilgeoirí in Brussels, Luxembourg and in the other cities where EU institutions have offices. Irish was granted official status as an EU language in 2007. Similar to the Irish Constitution, it was incumbent upon the EU to provide services through Irish and to translate official documents into Irish.

Believe it or not, this requires qualified Irish speakers! A derogation was in place that allowed the institutions to delay the provision of full translation services in Irish due to the concern around resources. That derogation came to an end in 2022, and with that, the demand for qualified Irish speakers in the EU increased.

This all proves that the Irish language is not just a dream of Irish nationalists that want to return to the time of Peig Sayers! Irish is a working language that creates employment opportunities. An added advantage is that you can contribute to the revitalisation of our national language at the same time. Win-Win!

Personally, I am not a traditional Gaeilgeoir. I’ll always be grateful to my parents for making the decision to send myself and my siblings to a Gaelscoil and to a gaelcholáiste. I’ll also always be grateful to the teachers in those schools who developed a love for the language within me.

It is the responsibility of people like me to make the effort to develop our national language and to keep it relevant. Included in that is utilising our qualifications to ensure the continued growth of Gaeilge.

It is our responsibility to encourage people when it comes to the Irish language, in the same way that we were encouraged. Irish is alive, it is useful, it is practical, and it belongs to us all.

Beatha teanga, Í a labhairt.

Félim Ó Maolmhána is a solicitor at FlynnO’Driscoll LLP. He is a member of the Law Society’s Younger Members Committee and is registered on the Law Society’s Clár na Gaeilge.

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