Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 February 2014
12. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the progress of his Department in implementing the objectives and aims contained in the 20 year strategy for the Irish language which are relevant to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9451/14]
View answerOne of my Department s objectives or aims contained in the 20 Year Strategy on the Irish Language is to strengthen and develop language awareness and language training programmes so that a higher proportion of public service staff are truly functional in Irish and can deliver services in Irish to customers who seek them. In this regard my Department has devolved responsibility for the implementation of Irish Language Training and Irish Language Proficiency Testing to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht while maintaining its overall policy role within the civil service. A Service Level Agreement between the two Departments was signed in 2013 to give effect to this policy initiative.
Additionally as the Official Languages Act has adopted the language scheme as a core instrument by which bilingual services are to be provided my Department has prepared a draft Irish Language Scheme which is currently with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for approval. On receipt of the necessary approval from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht officials in my Department will finalise and publish on my Departments website our completed Irish Language Scheme.
