Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 March 2014
12. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will identify and list the ten most important foreign languages used in the conduct of Ireland's diplomatic relations. [10680/14]
View answerMy Department attaches a high priority to language proficiency and it is regarded as an important skill in a diplomatic officer’s career development and the conduct of their duties, in particular when posted to one of our missions abroad. French is accorded a high priority, given its importance in the EU context and in the conduct of diplomacy generally, closely followed by German, Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. Other important languages for our diplomatic officers would include Italian, Polish and Japanese.
