To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 562W, what his Department's estimate is of the cost of implementing an Irish Language Bill. (127885)

It has been estimated that in the 2008-09 financial year, the first full year after any Irish Language Bill becomes law, total expenditure by Northern Ireland Departments on the Irish language could be in the region of £12.55 million. This represents an increase over existing expenditure of approximately £2.81 million.