Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 January 2014
343. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the estimated number and percentage of civil servants who are competent to carry out their duties through the mediums of Irish and English in his Department; his views on whether this number is adequate; his plans to increase this number and percentage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2630/14]
View answerMy Department has approximately 10 staff or up to 3 % of the total number of employees who are capable of carrying out their duties through both the Irish and English languages. All written correspondence addressed to the Department in Irish is replied to in Irish and any telephone queries are referred to one of the members of staff competent in Irish.
As the Department does not provide health services directly to the public, I am satisfied that the number of staff in my Department who are competent in Irish is adequate and I have no plans to definitively increase that number at this time although existing staff are afforded the opportunity on a continuing basis to improve their skills in the Irish language.
