Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2004
127 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he has met officials of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to discuss the workings of their new advisory group to encourage and promote the use of Irish in local authorities; if his Department will play a supplementary role in promoting the use of Irish in local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27983/04]
View answerMy Department is represented on the new local authority advisory group and participated in the work of the first meeting of the group on 20 October 2004. I welcome the establishment of the working group and look forward to fruitful co-operation between it and my Department. I have no doubt that the group can exert a positive influence with regard to the promotion of the language within the local authority sector. This work will compliment the role of my Department under the Official Languages Act 2003.
My Department has been asked to make a presentation to the group at a future meeting on the Official Languages Act 2003 and its implications for local authorities. As the Deputy may be aware, four local authorities — Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Waterford County Councils — are in the process of drafting schemes under the Act.
