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Irish Language.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2004

Thursday, 25 November 2004

Questions (189, 190, 191, 192)

Brian O'Shea

Question:

187 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the proposals he has to communicate to all the persons of the State, especially those who are not conversant in the Irish language, the purpose of the Official Languages Act 2003, together with the full implications of the implementation of the provisions of the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30838/04]

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Written answers

From the beginning of the process, every effort has been made by my Department to inform the public about the Official Languages Act 2003 through statements, press releases and speeches. As I indicated in reply to Questions Nos. 79 and 129 on 9 November 2004, I have requested Fóram na Gaeilge to advise me in a number of matters. These include the advisability of preparing a 20-year strategic plan with realistic goals for the Irish language, the short-term strategic priorities for the preservation and the promotion of the Irish language, the priorities regarding the implementation of the Official Languages Act 2003, and the best and most practical ways to achieve progress with regard to the implementation of that work.

In this context, consideration is also being given to the options for developing a framework, with assistance and advice from the forum, for a broad plan for the Irish language that would include strategic priorities for its preservation and promotion. I anticipate that this work will be brought forward over the coming months and will encourage and facilitate a national debate on the role of the language in modern Ireland and ensure, inter alia, wider dissemination of information about the Official Languages Act 2003 and its ongoing implementation.

Furthermore, public consultation processes have been, or shortly will be, initiated by the 25 public bodies which have been asked to prepare language schemes. In each case, a public advertisement invites submissions from members of the public. Information on the Act and its implementation is also available on my Department's website and that of the Coimisinéir Teanga.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

188 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the full implementation of the Official Languages Act 2003 will create 1,000 jobs within the Gaeltacht and almost as many outside of the Gaeltacht during the term of his Ministry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30841/04]

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Brian O'Shea

Question:

189 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will elaborate on his description of an article in a newspaper (details supplied) as fantasy and nonsense; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30842/04]

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I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 189 together.

As the Deputy is aware, the Official Languages Act 2003 is the first piece of legislation to provide a statutory framework for the delivery of public services through the Irish language and its primary objective is to ensure better availability and a higher standard of such services.

Clearly, full implementation of the Act will require us to draw on the language competencies of significant numbers of people across both the public and private sectors. As I have already informed the Deputy in reply to Question No. 334 of 1 October 2003, it was in this context that reference was made to an estimate of up to 2,000 such persons. I reiterate that I did not, at any time, indicate that an additional 2,000 jobs will be created in the public sector as a consequence of the legislation. It was in the context of the inaccuracy in the newspaper article of 14 November 2004 referred to by the Deputy, which stated that "the Government will have to employ an extra 2,000 fluent Irish speakers at a cost of over €100 million a year" and that translation costs arising from the Act would be to up to €150 million per year, that I used the terms "fantasy" and "nonsense" in my response.

I make the point again that the public service in Ireland has a total staff complement of approximately 280,121 people. Within this, a complement of 2,000 people with a competence in Irish, as referred to above, would represent less than 1% of the public service. It may be anticipated that employment will also be created in training, translating and so on, outside the public service.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

190 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, further to the meeting which he had with the Irish language organisations in Spiddal on 26 May 2003, the person who initiated the meeting; the purpose of the meeting; the person who sent out the invitations; the number of invitations sent out; if he will provide a copy of the invitation and a list of the organisations invited; if minutes were taken of the meeting; if so, he will provide a copy of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30872/04]

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The meeting to which the Deputy refers was initiated by me and organised by my Department. The purpose of this meeting was to explain the provisions of the Official Languages (Equality) Bill 2002, as it was then; to inform and update Irish language organisations of the progress of the legislation; and to provide a forum for such organisations to discuss and debate issues in relation to the legislation. The meeting also provided an opportunity for me, as Minister, to listen to and address some of the concerns and issues being expressed by these organisations regarding the proposed legislation. Invitations to this meeting were issued to all Irish language organisations and any organisation that requested permission to attend was granted that permission. No minutes of the meeting were taken.

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