Madam, – I refer to an interesting report (“Government to run second translation unit”, Home News, May, 18th).
An inaccuracy that I would like to correct is the statement that the Rannóg an Aistriúcháin, the translation section of the House of the Oireachtas was established in 2003. In fact, it has been an integral and valued unit of the Houses of the Oireachtas since the first meeting of the First Dáil in 1919, and has almost 90 years experience and expertise in legal translation, principally in the production of official translations of the Acts of the Oireachtas, but also in regard to the production of the Irish language version of the Treaties establishing the European Communities on Ireland’s accession to the EEC in 1973.
Another achievement of Rannóg an Aistriúcháin is the production of the official grammar for the Irish language – An Caighdeán Oifigiúil– which was first published in 1958 and has been regularly republished by this section since. – Is mise,
VIVIAN UÍBH EACHACH,
Chief Translator,
Rannóg an Aistriúcháin,
Tithe an Oireachtais,
Sráid Chill Dara,
Baile Átha Cliath 2.