Irish is a luxury for EU institutions

Journalist Mary Regan informs us that "less than 30 minutes of Irish was spoken in the European Parliament in the first full year as an official language - working out at a little less than €13,000 a minute. Despite pressure to have Gaeilge [Irish] recognised as an official language, records show six of our 13 MEPs have never used Irish in parliamentary debates since January 1, 2007. ... EU officials will carry out a review in four years' time to see if its official status should continue. The cost of implementing the language across all EU institutions is estimated to be in the region of €3.5 million. ... There are four interpreters working in the parliament. Two man a booth at a time, and there are two shifts a day for the 10 days the parliament sits each month. These interpreters cost €30,000 a month, which is paid by the EU with contributions from individual member states."

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