Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

Ní ghlacaim leis go bhfuil an Bille seo ró-mhór nach féidir aistriúchán Gaeilge a dhéanamh air. Is Bille an-bheag é an Bille seo. Is féidir leis an Roinn an cáinaisnéis agus na Billí Airgeadais a fhoilsiú i nGaeilge, ach ní féidir Bille de 40 leathnach a aistriú. D'fhéadfainn é a dhéanamh, agus b'fhéidir gur ndéanfadh an Seanadóir Uí Catháin é freisin. B'fhéidir gur chóir dúinn coiste a bhunú sa Seanad chun aistriúcháin Gaeilge a chur ar reachtaíocht. Tá marcóir á chur síos againn inniu. Ní ghlacfar le seo inniu nó sa todhchaí. Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí ó Fine Gael atá ag tabhairt tacaíochta dúinn ina thaobh. Níl sé ceart, níl sé cóir, níl sé cothrom agus níl sé dlíthiúil. Labhair an Aire faoin méid a bheadh "ideal". Tagann an riachtanas seo ón mBunreacht. This is an article of the Constitution. The Official Languages Act merely implements what is contained in the Constitution. If the Government wants to discard the Constitution and parliamentary procedure, we will have nothing left. It might as well abolish the Dáil and the Seanad and just have a few stooges here to rubber-stamp legislation if that is the way we are to go. That is not what the Government stated it would do in the programme for Government. First, it brought in the guillotine and now has indicated its inability to supply a translation of this Bill. To say the State cannot translate 40 pages of text into our national language is an absolute disgrace and we will not accept it. I have never heard an excuse like that offered by the Minister of State, that it is too big.