Wotapalaver you are well supported in your views and by the Irish Government no less Written Answers  Official Terms Dil ireann  Volume    September  In his response the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs stated The British Isles is not an officially recognised term in any legal or intergovernmental sense It is without any official status The Government including the Department of Foreign Affairs does not use this term Our officials in the Embassy of Ireland London continue to monitor the media in Britain for any abuse of the official terms as set out in the Constitution of Ireland and in legislation These include the name of the State the President Taoiseach and others  New atlas lets Ireland slip shackles of Britain A spokesman for the Irish Embassy in London said The British Isles has a dated ring to it as if we are still part of the Empire We are independent we are not part of Britain not even in geographical terms We would discourage its usage Its use is also avoided in relations between the governments of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom who generally employ the term these islands Bertie Aherns Address to The Joint Houses of Parliament Westminster th May  Tony Blairs Address to the Dil and Seanad November