25 March 1999 Edition
Irish publishers are English say state
The launch today, Thursday 25 March, of a new system of grant-aiding books in Irish to be run by the state's Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge will be picketed by publishers of Irish books and by poets, writers and commentators who are being discriminated against by the new system.
The majority of the proposals in the new scheme launched by the Minister Éamonn O'Cuív of the Department of the Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands have been praised, but an argument has arisen over the necessity for publishers to use the English series of the book numbering system, International Standard Book Number, ISBN.
No Irish series exists, though almost all other countries have their own series.
ISBN International in Germany have stated that they have no difficulty with an Irish series and they approached the Irish Book Publishers Association (CLÉ) with a view to setting one up. CLÉ told them that they were not interested in having a separate series or in administering same, thus condemning all Irish publishers to be recorded in future as English publishers. CLÉ represents publishers in both English and Irish and ``exists to promote the publication, distribution and sale of Irish books both at home and overseas''.
Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge is threatening to withhold grants from publishers who refuse to be labelled English at the behest of the manager of the state's wholesale book distribution company Cisínteacht Dáiliúchán Leabhair who also happens to be a member of the Bord, Diarmuid O Cathasaigh. O Cathasaigh when challenged on this issue in the past said he didn't care if all the books in Irish were wrapped up in the Union Jack provided it sold more books.
Pressure for the ``compulsory'' use of ISBN numbers allegedly came from English chain stores, (Hodges Figgis, Easons and Waterstones) operating in Ireland, who've said they'd refuse to stock books that didn't have an ISBN number.
The largest Irish language publishers, Coiscéim, 500 titles since 1981, have stated in the past that they will never declare themselves to be English publishers, which becoming part of the ISBN (English series) would entail. They and several other publishers have vowed that they will go to the wall if they have to to protect their nationality against the imposition of this diktat of Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge.
The majority of the proposals in the new scheme launched by the Minister Éamonn O'Cuív of the Department of the Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands have been praised, but an argument has arisen over the necessity for publishers to use the English series of the book numbering system, International Standard Book Number, ISBN.
No Irish series exists, though almost all other countries have their own series.
ISBN International in Germany have stated that they have no difficulty with an Irish series and they approached the Irish Book Publishers Association (CLÉ) with a view to setting one up. CLÉ told them that they were not interested in having a separate series or in administering same, thus condemning all Irish publishers to be recorded in future as English publishers. CLÉ represents publishers in both English and Irish and ``exists to promote the publication, distribution and sale of Irish books both at home and overseas''.
Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge is threatening to withhold grants from publishers who refuse to be labelled English at the behest of the manager of the state's wholesale book distribution company Cisínteacht Dáiliúchán Leabhair who also happens to be a member of the Bord, Diarmuid O Cathasaigh. O Cathasaigh when challenged on this issue in the past said he didn't care if all the books in Irish were wrapped up in the Union Jack provided it sold more books.
Pressure for the ``compulsory'' use of ISBN numbers allegedly came from English chain stores, (Hodges Figgis, Easons and Waterstones) operating in Ireland, who've said they'd refuse to stock books that didn't have an ISBN number.
The largest Irish language publishers, Coiscéim, 500 titles since 1981, have stated in the past that they will never declare themselves to be English publishers, which becoming part of the ISBN (English series) would entail. They and several other publishers have vowed that they will go to the wall if they have to to protect their nationality against the imposition of this diktat of Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge.