Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013
749. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a person has a right to have all their dealings with the State dealt with through the medium of the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38045/13]
View answerArticle 8 of the Constitution has been interpreted by the Supreme Court (Ó Beoláin v. Fahy [2001]) as conferring a right on the citizen to transact his or her business with the State through Irish. The Official Languages Act 2003 seeks to give legislative effect, insofar as the delivery of public services in Irish is concerned, to Article 8 of the Constitution. The Act provides a framework for the incremental provision of public services through Irish in order for the State to fulfil its responsibilities in this regard in a cohesive and coherent manner.In addition to various direct statutory obligations emanating from the Act, public bodies are obliged to prepare and implement language schemes, when requested by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to do so. The purpose of these schemes is to increase over time the quality and quantity of services provided in Irish by public bodies, having regard to available resources. As a result of the 143 language schemes that have been agreed since the commencement of the Act in 2003, almost 200 public bodies have been covered by the language scheme process. I am satisfied that the various schemes being implemented include the majority of public bodies who have regular contact with the general public. It is my view also that there has been a significant improvement in the quality and quantity of services being provided in Irish by public bodies as a result of the Official Languages Act.
