Written Answers Nos. 422-446
422. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the current status of the language assistants' scheme operating in the Gaeltacht; if this will be extended to all Irish medium schools; and if he will have an indicative timeframe should such an extension be granted. [8322/14]
View answerThe Irish Language Assistants Scheme (Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga) was established as a pilot scheme in 1999 to strengthen the use of Irish as the spoken language among Gaeltacht schoolchildren. It was originally targeted at students with little or no Irish to enable them to follow the curriculum in Gaeltacht schools. My Department pays a grant to the organisations that administer the scheme at local level in the various Gaeltacht regions. An amount of €724,275 has been sanctioned for the current school year and a total of 85 language assistants are employed on a part-time basis under the scheme. Their duties now also include enriching the vocabulary of those students whose home language is Irish. Since the 2011/12 school year, I have sanctioned an increased allocation of €150,000 under the scheme which helps to provide extra contact hours as well as facilitating other improvements in the scheme. This extra allocation further supports the substantial number of Gaeltacht schoolchildren who benefit from the scheme.
While the operation of the scheme is reviewed on a regular basis, there are no plans at present to extend its scope. The Deputy will be aware that Gaelscoileanna is the national, voluntary organisation that provides advice and support for the development of Irish-medium schools at primary and at post-primary level. The organisation is funded by Foras na Gaeilge and has recently been selected as the lead organisation to be responsible for Irish-medium/immersion education and Irish-medium preschool education on an all-island basis as part of Foras na Gaeilge’s new funding arrangements for Irish language organisations.
423. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if planning for the measures of increasing Irish language awareness and language training so as to enable a strengthened and consolidated service provision by public service staff through the Irish language, as envisaged in the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language, has commenced; and if there are any plans to introduce any such measures in the first phase of the strategy. [8323/14]
View answerIn order to strengthen my Department’s mandate in respect of the public service generally as outlined in the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) has been put in place between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the provision of Irish language training services and Irish language proficiency testing to Government Departments/Offices and certain public service organisations. The purpose of this SLA is to enhance the capacity of staff in the civil service and certain public service organisations to deliver Irish language services and to provide an accredited proficiency testing regime for civil servants. In tandem with this SLA, it should be noted that Foras na Gaeilge has a three year contract in place since November 2011 with a company, Gaelchultúr, for the provision of Irish language training for the public service.
In summary, I am satisfied that these measures are helping to increase the level and standard of services in Irish provided by public bodies.
424. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding available for a short film project promoting local sites in Youghal, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7588/14]
View answerMy Department does not provide funding for film projects. The Irish Film Board is the statutory body with responsibility for all film related matters, including the funding of film projects. All funding decisions are handled by the Irish Film Board and my Department has no role in the operation of their various programmes and schemes.
Detailed information regarding the role of the Irish Film Board in supporting the Irish film industry is available from their website at www.irishfilmboard.ie.
425. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide in tabular form, the number of staff in his Department on a sabbatical-career break broken down by zero to six months, six to 12 months, one year to two years, two to three years, four to five years and five years plus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7622/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that currently 10 staff in my Department are on sabbatical/career break. Details are set out in the table.
|
Period on Sabbatical/Career Break |
Staff Numbers |
|
0 – 6 months |
0 |
|
6 – 12 months |
1 |
|
1 – 2 years |
3 |
|
2 – 3 years |
3 |
|
4 – 5 years |
2 |
|
5 years plus |
1 |
|
TOTAL |
10 |
426. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide in tabular form, the total number of uncertified sick days taken by employees in his Department and the average uncertified sick days per employee taken; the total certified sick days taken by employees; the average certified sick days per employee; the total sick days taken by employees; the average total sick days and median overall sick days per employee in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. [7638/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, my Department was established on 2nd June 2011. The requested totals in respect of the period 2nd June - 31st December 2011 and for the full year of 2012 are set out in the table below. The requested averages have been calculated and are shown for the full year of 2012 but not for the June – December 2011 period, as that is not a full year. However, in order to facilitate comparison between these two periods, the table below includes information on the time lost rates for the periods in question. This shows the time lost due to sick leave expressed as a percentage of total potential working days in each period.
|
- |
2011 - 2 Jun-31 Dec |
2012 - 1 Jan – 31 Dec |
|
Working Days in Period |
133 |
229 |
|
No of Staff (whole time Equivalent) |
608 |
577 |
|
Total Uncertified Sick Days |
242 |
333 |
|
Total Certified Sick days |
3,735 |
4,378 |
|
Total Sick Days |
3,978 |
4,711 |
|
Median Sick Days |
5 |
5 |
|
Lost Time Rate for Period uncertified |
0.3% |
0.25% |
|
Lost Time Rate for period certified |
4.62% |
3.31% |
|
Lost Time Rate for period overall |
4.92% |
3.57% |
|
Average uncertified sick days per employee |
& |
0.57 |
|
Average certified sick days per employee |
& |
7.48 |
|
Average sick days per employee |
& |
8.05 |
428. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will intervene with Waterways Ireland to prevent the Naomh Éanna docked in Grand Canal basin from being sent for scrap for a period of six months in order that a proposal (details supplied) can be considered and developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7698/14]
View answer432. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will intervene and allow a 16 week reprieve for the heritage vessel, Naomh Éanna, while an interested group prepares a business plan for its restoration at no cost to the Exchequer. [7833/14]
View answer442. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he and his Northern Ireland counterpart have raised the issues of the possible preservation of the vessel the Naomh Éanna with Uisce Bealaí Éirtann; if they have the response they received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8312/14]
View answer448. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will intervene and allow a 16 week reprieve for the heritage vessel, Naomh Éanna, while an interested group prepares a business plan for its restoration at no cost to the Exchequer. [7796/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 428, 432, 442 and 448 together.
As the Deputies will be aware, the Naomh Éanna was purchased by the Irish Nautical Trust (INT) and moored at Grand Canal Dock in 1989, when it could no longer meet health and safety requirements to operate as a passenger-carrying vessel. A report on the hull condition of the vessel, commissioned by INT in April 2013, highlighted serious safety concerns. Based on the report’s findings, INT issued a ‘Notice to Vacate’ to both of the businesses that had been operating from the vessel.
The Deputies will also be aware that Waterways Ireland, given the health and safety concerns arising from the condition of the vessel, offered, as the property owners of the Grand Canal Dock, to arrange for the removal and disposal of the ship on INT's behalf. I am advised that INT accepted the offer and confirmed its approval to Waterways Ireland to dispose of the vessel on its behalf on the ground of the health and safety risks arising.
Unfortunately, the position is that the Naomh Éanna has deteriorated substantially in the past 20 years and presents a real risk in the Grand Canal Basin. I understand that significant investment would be required to bring the vessel to the point where it would be safe and insurable. Accordingly, to mitigate the risks, Waterways Ireland proposes to move the Naomh Éanna to an adjacent dry dock, under a short-term licence agreement with NAMA, from where it will be dismantled under contract. The vessel’s condition will not support its movement out of the Dock and I am advised by Waterways Ireland that this is the only practical way of ensuring the vessel does not sink in the main Dock, thereby giving rise to considerable additional expense. I am also advised that extensive works, entailing considerable additional costs, would be required to preserve the already unstable hull of the vessel.
Deputies will recall that a commitment was given in this House last Thursday that a meeting would be convened of the accountable bodies in this area, including my own Department, Waterways Ireland and other relevant bodies, to determine if anything can be done to avert the disposal of the Naomh Éanna at this time. I wish to inform the House that meeting took place but concluded that the proper course of action to be taken now is to proceed with the disposal of the vessel. This will now be done. Accordingly, I am advised that it is not feasible to allow an opportunity for 16 weeks or six months as proposed for any interested group to provide a plan that would attract investment in the vessel's restoration.
This decision has not been taken lightly. Rather, it is because of the continuing serious risk posed by the vessel, the disruption and expense that would be involved were it to sink in the Grand Canal Dock and the very considerable expense that would be involved in making it safe and insurable.
429. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 48 of 6 February 2014, the person that will be the recipient of the public moneys being set aside for the restoration of the national monument at Moore Street; the reason the announcement was made before he received the revised consent application for the proposed work and before the planning authority considers it; if the money set aside for the restoration will also include demolishing surrounding buildings directly linked to the 1916 Rising; and his views that the recommendations of the national museum and Dublin City Council Moore Street advisory committee will be respected. [7735/14]
View answer434. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress made on the development of the Moore Street site, including the agreed inspection of the site; the status of number 18 Moore Street, the National Museum reports and the Chartered Land consent reports. [7908/14]
View answer435. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he or his Department is aware of funds being set aside by the National Asset Management Agency for works in the Moore Street area. [7909/14]
View answer445. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on the development of the 1916 national monument on Moore Street; if there have been discussions or briefings with the owners of the site (details supplied) regarding the condition of the buildings and future plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8374/14]
View answer446. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the resources that have been set aside for a survey and any required works to ensure the structural integrity of the buildings at the 1916 national monument on Moore Street; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8375/14]
View answer447. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if any surveys have been carried out in recent months to define and record the extent, quality and integrity of the 1916 national monument on Moore Street; and if he will provide any information he has on the site and any interaction with the owners over recent months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8376/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 429, 434, 435 and 445 to 447, inclusive, together.
On 16 July 2013 I made a determination under the National Monuments Acts in relation to a consent application and related Environmental Impact Statement submitted by the owners in relation to proposed works on the Moore Street national monument site. My decision on the consent application provided, inter alia, for the full repair and restoration of the monument buildings and the creation of a commemorative centre to honour the leaders of the 1916 Rising.
My Department has recently received confirmation from the National Asset Management Agency that it has approved funding for works covered by the consent I have given under the National Monuments Acts, subject to compliance with all statutory processes. The arrangements for the disbursement of the NAMA funding are a matter for the Agency itself.
The national monument is in private ownership and, accordingly, the advancement of proposals that reflect the terms of the consent I have granted is a matter for the owners. The consent is, however, conditional on a revised project design that takes full account of the terms of my decision being submitted for my approval within 9 months of the decision date. A further condition requires substantive works to commence on site within 3 months of the approval of the revised proposals.
There have been a number of meetings between my Department and the monument owners in the meantime to discuss and clarify various aspects of the 52 detailed conditions set out in the consent order with the intention of ensuring that the designs for the approved works are fully compliant with what I have prescribed. There have also been discussions in relation to the site investigations needed to determine the works that will be necessary to stabilise and underpin the monument buildings. As part of these investigations, the cellars under the yards to the rear of monument buildings, which I understand were in use until relatively recently, have been re-opened and are currently being cleared out.
My understanding is that the completed designs for the approved works will be submitted to me in the near future to verify that they are in compliance with the consent order. They will be assessed as quickly as possible on receipt to establish whether they conform to the terms of my decision on the consent application. The consultation procedures prescribed under the National Monuments Acts have already been completed in this case as part of the processing of the consent application and related Environmental Impact Assessment. No.18 Moore Street is outside the bounds of the Preservation Order in this case and my role in relation to that building is confined to ensuring that any works to it do not adversely impact on the adjacent national monument.
As the national monument is not in the ownership of the State, the practical arrangements for the proposed survey of the national monument buildings by the 1916 relatives’ representative group, which the monument owners have agreed to in principle, are matters for the group and the owners to agree. The arrangements for the management of the buildings once work is completed is primarily a matter for the owners.
430. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to expand the Irish film industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7806/14]
View answerThe Irish Film Board (IFB) has been allocated €14.037 million from my Department's Vote in 2014 to carry out its functions. The IFB has primary responsibility for the support and promotion of film-making in Ireland, in respect of both the indigenous sector and inward productions. It is a statutorily independent agency responsible for the promotion and development of the Irish film industry and I have no responsibility in relation to its day-to-day operational matters, including the allocation of resources to different support programmes and schemes. Following consultations between my Department, the IFB and the Department of Finance, a number of changes to section 481 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (Film Tax Relief Scheme) are being introduced to ensure that Ireland retains or regains competitiveness in attracting foreign film projects to Ireland. The scheme was extended to the end of 2020 in the 2013 Finance Act and further changes were announced by the Minister for Finance in his 2014 budget speech. The budget announcement brings forward the new regime for film tax reliefs to 2015, and extends the definition of 'eligible individual' in the scheme for film relief to include non-EU talent. I am confident that this will increase the attractiveness of Ireland as a destination for film investment and allow the audiovisual production sector to maintain existing jobs and create new ones.
431. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to mark the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7808/14]
View answerA series of events organised at community, regional and national levels is being rolled out to mark the Millennium Anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf and the death of Brian Boru. I had the honour on 22 January last at Trinity College Dublin to launch the national programme of festivals and events to take place this year as part of the Millennial anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Clontarf and the death of Brian Boru. The programme can be accessed at http://www.brianBorumillennium.ie/.
The programme of events represents the culmination of the combined efforts of a national steering group of community and voluntary organisations working alongside local authorities, including Dublin City Council, Tipperary North and South, Clare County Council and Armagh Borough Council, as well as my own Department, to highlight and mark this significant anniversary. I have been very impressed by these collaborations.
At national level, the National Museum of Ireland will present a special exhibition in its Kildare Street site, highlighting the Viking heritage of Ireland during the time of Brian Boru, as well as a series of family events on this theme, details of which are available on the Museum's website and on http://www.brianBorumillennium.ie/.
Trinity College Dublin will be complementing the Museum's special exhibition with an exhibition in of its medieval Irish treasures and manuscripts, exploring the legacy of Brian Boru. Trinity College, in association with Dublin City Council, will also host an international conference to mark the millennium on April 11th and 12th.
The programme of events will run throughout the year with highlights including the largest living history battle re-enactment ever held in Ireland, to take place in St. Anne's Park in Clontarf on 19 and 20 April. A National Battle of Clontarf Heritage Trail will also be launched.
Other events include nationwide performances of the Boróimhe suite of traditional music commissioned by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for the Millennium and re-enactments and festival events in Killaloe-Ballina in Co. Clare, Waterford, Tipperary and Armagh.
The story of the Battle of Clontarf is one that still reverberates through our neighbours, particularly in Scandinavia, Iceland, and the Isle of Man, and this millennium anniversary is an ideal opportunity to encourage people from these places to visit and explore our shared history and culture – as well as offering a range of events that will appeal to tourists from around the world, from the spectacle of Viking re-enactments to the exhibitions and discussions by local and national experts.
Ireland has some of the most precious Viking artefacts in the world and anyone with an interest in this period of history should visit our national and regional museums to see the treasures on display, some of which will be shown for the first time during this festival.
If the Deputy has further information regarding events which could be included on the online programme, I know that Dublin City Council who are hosting this website would be very pleased to receive such material.
433. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if any of his departmental or ministerial offices has been swept for electronic or any other type of surveillance or bugging equipment since coming to office in March 2011; the reasons for this check; the results of this check; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7887/14]
View answerMy Department has not carried out a sweep or other check for surveillance or bugging equipment. For completeness, I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department carries out periodic assessments of its ICT systems and infrastructure as part of its management of ICT security issues and engages external ICT systems security support to supplement its internal resources in this area. My Department deploys industry leading security hardware and software systems to identify and eliminate malware, viruses, trojans, worms and other forms of electronic threat and ensures its systems are subject to systematic security update.
436. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if local authorities can initiate a process whereby specific areas within their functional area that have particular ecological or habitat areas which currently are not designated and which may be at risk from encroaching due to development can be considered for designation following a request from the local authority as special areas of conservation or of protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7920/14]
View answerThe designation of sites as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) or Special Protection Areas (SPAs) is primarily a matter for my Department and Ireland’s network of such sites is largely complete at this stage. However, any person or body including a local authority, may make submissions to my Department relating to the identification of sites suitable for consideration as SACs or SPAs. Designations of this nature do not mean there is a “blanket” prohibition on further development or activities within these sites. Industrial, commercial or residential development in these sites would, as ever, go through normal planning processes and be subject to appropriate assessment from an environmental perspective.
437. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will update the regulations on the detection of metal using metal detectors to bring them in line with those in the United Kingdom. [7934/14]
View answerMeasures to regulate the use of metal detectors were introduced in the National Monuments Act (Amendment) 1987 to protect our archaeological heritage from the irreparable damage and loss which results from indiscriminate use of metal detectors to search for archaeological objects. The 1987 Act sets out the statutory provisions in relation to the general use of metal detectors to search for archaeological objects on any lands and the particular requirements applying to their use or possession on protected monuments and archaeological sites. My Department, in co-operation with the National Museum of Ireland, has recently published guidelines setting out advice to the public on use of detection devices and their impact on our archaeological heritage. The guidelines are available on my Department’s website and are also being made available in museums, libraries, local authority offices, etc. The guidelines explain both the provisions of the relevant legislation and the reasons why it was enacted in 1987.
It is important to note that the 1987 Act does not prohibit outright the use of metal detectors for archaeological purposes, rather it ensures that such use takes place in a regulated manner, subject to appropriate safeguards. I am satisfied that the current regulatory provisions are reasonable and proportionate.
438. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will list any new organisations-agencies established in his Department since 9 March 2011; the role and functions and the annual operating budget for these organisations-agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7938/14]
View answerI can confirm that no new organisations or agencies have been established in my Department since March 2011. For completeness, the Deputy may wish to note, however, that responsibility for the Censorship of Publications Board and Censorship of Publications Appeals Board transferred to my Department in June 2013. Those organisations were established prior to 9 March 2011 and operated under the aegis of the Department of Justice and Equality before to transferring to my Department.
439. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 452 of 28 January 2014, if he will provide an update on the case (details supplied) regarding farm fencing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8066/14]
View answerMy officials have carried out a preliminary investigation of the issue and on foot of that I have asked them to contact the landowner concerned to see if an accommodation can be reached.
440. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide in tabular form the list of SPA stage 2 appeals before the designated areas appeals advisory board; the length of time each appeal has been with the board; the reasons for the delay pertaining to each appeal; when each landowner may expect an appeal hearing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8074/14]
View answerThe information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible. It should be noted that there were a number of procedural issues in relation to operation of the Designated Areas Appeals Advisory Board in recent month. These have now been resolved and appeal hearings will resume in the coming weeks.
441. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 453 of 28 January 2014, when payment of bog compensation will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8311/14]
View answerAn application for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has been received by my Department from the individual referred to in the Deputy’s Question. I am advised that a payment of €1,500 in respect of Year 1 of 15 (2011) and a payment of €1,500 in respect of Year 2 of 15 (2012) have been made to this applicant. The qualifying criteria for the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme are that the claimant must have a legal interest in one of the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation – ownership or turbary right; the claimant must have been the owner or entitled to exercise turbary rights on the land in question on 25 May 2010; the turbary on the site must not be exhausted; the claimant must have been cutting turf on the land in question during the relevant five year period; and no turf cutting or associated activity is ongoing on the property. An official from my Department wrote to the applicant on 29 January 2014 requesting that she arrange for the completion and swearing of an affidavit outlining her claim of a legal interest over the land in question. While this document had been received by my Department, it has been returned to the applicant as it had not been completed fully.
443. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 27 of 29 January 2014, when legislation will be enacted to permit the de-designation of national heritage areas; and if he is open to allowing an appeals mechanism to consider possible future de-designations. [8319/14]
View answerIreland’s Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) were designated largely for the protection of raised and blanket bog habitats. Prior to designation, land owners were given an opportunity to appeal the inclusion of their lands within the sites through a two stage process,which included an independent Designated Areas Appeals Advisory Board. Many land-owners availed of that opportunity. Under current legislation, once the designation is made by the Minister there is no mechanism to revisit its status, save for the loss of the scientific justification for its designation. In the context of addressing infringement action brought against Ireland for breaches of EU law in the regulation of designated bogs, my Department has recently undertaken a review of raised bog NHAs. The review has proposed a reconfiguration of the network of raised bog NHAs, including the complete or partial de-designation of 46 exiting NHAs and the designation of new sites to ensure that the conservation value of the network is enhanced, while significantly reducing economic and social impacts arising from the displacement of active turf-cutters. Land-owners in any newly proposed NHA will be given an opportunity to appeal the inclusion of their land within the boundaries of the site.
It will be necessary to introduce legislative change to allow for the de-designation of NHAs as part of the NHA review. The preparation of legislative proposals is currently underway and will be brought forward as soon as possible.
444. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to examine the feasibility of introducing a voluntary code for bilingual labelling and packaging of all goods sold in Ireland as envisaged in the 20 year strategy on the Irish language; his views on whether such a measure would have exceptional benefits to promoting the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8354/14]
View answerAt the outset, it should be noted that my Department is charged with implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 in collaboration and partnership with relevant stakeholders, including agencies directly funded by my Department. In that context, Foras na Gaeilge, an agency of the North South Language Body, An Foras Teanga, has a key statutory role in the provision of resources and support for the Irish language on an all-island basis. In regard to the feasibility of introducing a voluntary code for bilingual labelling and packaging of goods sold in Ireland, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Foras na Gaeilge is currently compiling an e-book on best practice in bilingual packaging. The recommendations in the e-book entitled Pacáistíocht Dhátheangach–Treoir ar an gCleachtas is Fearr are based on research commissioned by Foras na Gaeilge and carried out by the Dublin Institute of Technology. The e-book is aimed primarily at private sector companies and will demonstrate how bilingual packaging can be used to competitive advantage. It is envisaged that the e-book will be available later this year.
Foras na Gaeilge has already produced an e-book on best practice in bilingual signage entitled Comharthaíocht Dhátheangach–Treoir ar an gCleachtas is Fearr which is available on www.gaeilge.ie/treoir. In addition, a voluntary code of best practice for businesses that wish to use the Irish language, Q-Mharc Gnó le Gaeilge, is being developed by Foras na Gaeilge.
