Vol. 569 No. 4
132 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made to date in implementing the report of the Gaeltacht Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17758/03]
The Deputy will be aware that the enactment of the Official Languages Bill 2002 is one of the key recommendations contained in the report of Coimisiún na Gaeltachta and it is my hope that this Bill will be passed by the Oireachtas before the end of the current session. The enactment of this legislation will be a critical factor in addressing many of the issues raised in the report.
The Deputy will also be aware that I established an advisory committee in October 2002 to advise on the actions necessary to facilitate the practical implementation, where appropriate, of the various proposals contained in the report.
Among the issues and initiatives being considered and progressed at present are: the commissioning of a comprehensive linguistic study of Irish usage in Gaeltacht areas which will form the basis for the development of the Gaeltacht as an Irish-speaking area and for a review of Gaeltacht boundaries. Tenders for the award of this study are currently being sought and it is expected that the study will have commenced by the autumn; the presentation of a submission in regard to critical issues affecting the Irish language in primary and post-primary education in the Gaeltacht; proposals for the restructuring of Irish language pre-school services in the Gaeltacht; recommendations in regard to new structures for youth organisations in the Gaeltacht; and the linguistic impact of planning policy in the Gaeltacht.
Consultations are continuing with relevant Departments and other organisations in relation to progressing these issues.
The transmission of the Irish language from one generation to the next is critical for its survival. In this regard, an action plan aimed at advising parents in Gaeltacht areas, particularly those with young children, of the advantages of choosing Irish as the household language, is currently being formulated by a sub-group established by the advisory committee. It is intended to bring forward proposals in relation to this action plan in the near future.
In addition, my Department is engaged in a review of schemes which play a significant role in strengthening the usage and transmission of Irish in Gaeltacht areas in general, namely, scéim labhairt na Gaeilge and the language assistants' scheme.
