The Deputy should note at the outset that issues relating to the post office network are an operational matter directly for An Post and, accordingly, I have no function with regard to same.
However, it may also be worth noting in this context that the President signed the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 into law on 22 December 2021. This new legislation is a strengthening of the Official Languages Act 2003, and it is widely recognised that it will make a significant contribution to the quality of Irish language services provided to the public by State bodies.
The primary objectives of the strengthened Act are that:
• 20% of recruits to the public sector will be competent in the Irish language by the end of 2030;
• all public services in the Gaeltacht and for the Gaeltacht will be provided through Irish;
• all public offices in the Gaeltacht will operate through the medium of Irish;
• a National Plan for Irish Language Public Services will be developed;
• a system of language standards will be introduced in place of the system of language schemes.
Central to these efforts will be the work of the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee. The Committee was established on 20 June 2022, and its initial work is primarily focused on the preparation of the first ever National Plan for Irish Language Public Services which is scheduled to be published later this year.
In accordance with the Committee’s functions under the Act, a research contract was agreed with the University of Galway in December 2022 to support this work, with this research still ongoing. This research and the Plan in general will look to:
• identify gaps in the current provision of public services through the medium of Irish and propose strategies to address them;
• identify the public services provided in Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas (LPAs) and specify strategies to ensure that Irish is the working language of offices located in LPAs and that services are being provided through the medium of Irish;
• identify the current level of Irish language competence in the public sector; and
• make recommendations regarding recruitment of personnel with Irish language competence.
A specific commitment has also been given in the Civil Service Renewal 2030 Strategy to implement this National Plan.
Under the Act, it is intended to improve and increase the provision of public services through the medium of Irish, as well as create significant employment opportunities for those with a competency in the language. Through this work, it is hoped to greatly increase the Irish language customer experience, empowering Irish speakers to use the language in all aspects of their daily life - particularly in their dealings with the State.
The Department is working to commence all substantive sections and provisions of the Act on an incremental basis, but in any case before the end of this year.
While the objective of the Act is to improve on the provision of public services in general through the medium of Irish, the issue of whether or not public offices, such as local Post Offices, should be located in Gaeltacht areas does not come under the scope of the Act.
