Mr. Daithí Ó Caigne:

In a general sense, the first question was what the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is doing. Our current policy is that the determination of what Departments require in terms of proficiency in Irish is a matter for themselves. Our Department required individual Departments and offices to amend their workforce planning framework to include a section in all future workforce plans identifying posts or areas of work requiring functional bilinguals. In this context, having regard to the implementation of the Gaeltacht Act 2012, Departments were asked about particular attention to posts located in or serving Gaeltacht areas. The view at the time was, and still is, that the process would be central to ensuring future recruitment competitions to administrative grades would make sufficient provision for appointment to posts requiring functional bilinguals. The aggregate data from this process would be used to assess the demand for functional bilinguals in recruitment campaigns to the Civil Service. That demand is assessed by us and, as I said earlier, with one or two exceptions we have been able to meet it. The Senator quoted a line from a film - "If you build it, he will come." However, I cannot answer that particular question. We respond to what is identified to us as a skill requirement or a proficiency requirement across the Civil Service. The same applies in our own Department.

I would be grateful if I was reminded of the other questions.