Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2004
17 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the discussions he has had with other Departments and State bodies on the provisions of the Official Languages Act 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16804/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs I have indicated previously in reply to questions in this House on the Official Languages Act 2003, my Department is currently engaged in ongoing preparatory work in relation to implementation of the Act. As an integral part of that process my Department is continuing to provide briefing sessions for public bodies on request to further inform them of the implications of the Act and to discuss its specific implications for them. In addition, my Department has written to each of the approximately 650 public bodies covered by the Act on two occasions to provide them with information about the Act and developments in its implementation. It established an interdepartmental working group to advise it on the drawing up of statutory guidelines under paragraph 12 of the Act. Work on the guidelines is at an advanced stage and I expect to be in a position to publish and circulate them in draft form to all public bodies within a month for comment and observations, so that work can commence on schemes by the first round of public bodies by next September. The Department also circulated draft heads of regulations under section 9(1) of the Act regarding the use of the Irish language, or the Irish and English languages, on oral announcements, on stationery, on signage and on advertisements to all Departments. It has held bilateral meetings with a number of Departments and public bodies to discuss specific implications and issues that arise for them. It also established a working group to make recommendations on provision of Irish translation services to meet the State's obligations under section 7 of the Act on the simultaneous publication of Acts of the Oireachtas in the Irish and English languages. The work of the group has been completed and my Department is exploring the feasibility of a number of possible ways forward.
Finally, I assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to consult with public bodies as appropriate on the phased implementation of the provisions of the Act and be available to provide advice and guidance if and when required. I am happy that significant progress is being made by my Department in the implementation of the Act's provisions on a phased basis in accordance with the action plan I announced on 17 December 2003. I am also satisfied that the public bodies covered by the Act will be able to meet the statutory obligations under the Act that will apply to them on a progressive basis and, moreover, that they will rise to the challenge with a positive attitude and spirit.
