Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 February 2019
161. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the progress made on implementing all aspects of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 to 2030 that are relevant to his Department and bodies under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8622/19]
View answerMy Department prepared an Implementation Plan under the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 in June 2013. This plan contained actions for implementation by the Department of Health and the agencies under the aegis of the Department. The Department of Health’s actions related to language awareness and training programmes for its staff, the adoption of a Language Scheme and the identification of posts within the Department that required Irish language competency.
The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht published the Action Plan 2018-2022 under the 20-year Strategy which provides an overview of the progress to date since the publication of the Strategy and sets out time-specific actions for implementation in the period to 2022. There are no specific actions identified for implementation by the Department of Health in this Action Plan. However, the Action Plan provides for an Oversight Group to monitor implementation of individual actions in the Plan including representatives from Government Departments and relevant stakeholders, bilateral meetings between the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and relevant Departments and agencies to ensure that progress is being made and annual reports on progress which will be submitted to the Government. The Department of Health will engage fully with all of these processes.
My Department is collating the response in respect of agencies under its aegis other than the HSE and will respond to the Deputy as soon as possible. The HSE has statutory responsibility for the provision of health and social personal services, including through the medium of Irish and in Gaeltacht areas, and this question has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply in respect of implementation of the HSE actions in the 20 Year Strategy and the 2018-2022 Action Plan.
