Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 January 2014
47. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the estimated number and percentage of civil servants who are competent to carry out their duties through the medium 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. [2629/14]
View answerMy Department fully supports the measures to support Irish language proficiency in the civil service which were approved recently by Government and is committed to providing services and answering correspondence through Irish whenever required. A skills audit of all staff carried out in 2012 revealed that 55 staff members in my Department had advanced or fluent Irish language skills while a further 160 officers declared that their Irish language skills were at an intermediate level. In total, this is approximately 20% of permanent HQ-based staff.
Irish Language Classes are regularly provided in-house in my Department and, from 2010 to 2013, over 200 officers registered to attend these classes. Tailored, in-house Irish language classes are currently available in our Passport Office in Cork and will shortly be available in the Passport Office in Molesworth Street. Officers are also encouraged to develop their Irish language skills in their own time and my Department is happy to support and fund this.
