Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 February 2019
129. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the progress made on implementing all aspects of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 to 2030 that are relevant to her Department and bodies under her remit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8613/19]
View answerThe Department continues to be committed to providing a quality service to the public through the medium of the Irish language having regard to the demand for services in Irish, and the Irish language skills and proficiencies of officials.
The Department has made good progress over the last three years in implementing the commitments made in it’s Second Irish Language Scheme. The Department’s Third Irish Language Scheme, which covers the period 2019-2022, following recent approval by the Minister of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, came into effect on 18 February, 2019. The new scheme builds on the Department’s Second Irish Language Scheme and sets out the extent to which services are currently available through Irish and identifies areas for future development. It also includes a commitment to assess, on an ongoing basis, the level of demand for services through Irish to ensure that the Department continues to meet this demand in a planned, coherent and accessible way.
The commitments made in the new Scheme will be monitored on a continuous basis by the appropriate Business Units and by the Cross Divisional Committee, established in 2014 which monitors the implementation of commitments made by the Department in relation to the provision of customer services generally and services through Irish.
As part of progressing the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 to 2030, my Department’s Agency, Enterprise Ireland, has developed a protocol with Údarás na Gaeltachta on behalf of the 8 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in the Gaeltacht areas. The 8 LEOs, Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Kerry, Cork South, Cork North and West, Waterford, Meath and Údarás na Gaeltacht’s aim, through that protocol, is to ensure equal opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses with regard to Government supports. This protocol ensures that Údarás na Gaeltachta clients have access to the extensive expertise of the LEOs through their training and mentoring programmes.
The aim of this protocol is to:
- Ensure that Gaeltacht-based clients are afforded equal and comparable services and supports through Údarás na Gaeltachta that are otherwise provided in non-Gaeltacht areas by the Local Enterprise Office for entrepreneurs and new or existing enterprises.
- Establish a structured link between Local Enterprise Offices and Údarás na Gaeltachta centrally and locally regarding the provision of information, guidance and support to clients.
- Outline a mechanism for the provision of access to services and schemes to Údarás na Gaeltachta from the Local Enterprise Offices for eligible Gaeltacht enterprises.
- Provide for an efficient customer service in response to Local Enterprise Office and Údarás na Gaeltachta clients’ queries.
