Sinn Fein MEP Lynn Boylan faced criticism after an incident in a European Parliament committee where she stated she could not speak in Gaelic, only to reverse her position minutes later when informed she could. The Dublin representative was addressing a committee on EU Foreign Affairs when she prefaced a question by saying, "It is unfortunate that we can't use our own language in this committee, but I will continue now in English."
The committee's vice-chair, Hana Jalloul Muro, immediately interrupted, stating, "You can, you can." Caught off guard, Boylan responded, "Ah, okay. We didn't know. Sorry." She then added, "I will continue in English because I wasn't prepared."
The incident has drawn scrutiny, with critics questioning the party's commitment to the Irish language. Arguments have been made that Sinn Fein may be more focused on using the language for political gain rather than its genuine promotion. The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) in Northern Ireland called the event "hypocrisy of Sinn Fein," with TUV candidate Jonathan Jackson suggesting the party prioritizes "weaponising Irish" over promoting it out of love for the language.
Critics have also raised questions about Boylan's proficiency in Irish and her apparent lack of awareness regarding the ability to use the language within an EU committee, where translations are available. However, some supporters noted the challenges of real-time translation from English to Irish, even for fluent speakers.
This is not the first time Sinn Fein's use of the Irish language has faced scrutiny. Earlier in July 2026, during a cost of living debate in the Dail (Irish Parliament), Sinn Fein TDs appeared to vote against their own amendment. When the Ceann Comhairle (speaker) asked in Irish if they agreed to the amendment, the Sinn Fein MPs did not respond affirmatively. Aontu leader Peader Toibin pointed out the discrepancy, after which Sinn Fein TD Padraig Mac Lochlainn stated he was "no fluent Irish." The question was then repeated in English, leading to laughter in the chamber before the TDs agreed to the amendment.
Lynn Boylan was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency in July 2024 and also serves as the Chair of the EU Delegation for Relations with Palestine. Irish has been a working language within the EU since January 1, 2022, and is one of the 24 official languages of the bloc, with speeches and documents translated to and from Irish. The Irish language is recognized as Ireland's first official language.