Mr. Paul Reid:

If I understand the Cathaoirleach correctly, the figures that he has are from March to September 2020. We can provide the updated figures through to 2021 but, like my colleagues in the Department, I would stress that we had a very seriously enhanced investment in communications in both languages throughout 2021 where we can demonstrate a very significant increase in spending. We can provide those overall figures to the committee.

I want to acknowledge that we got many learnings in the area about Covid-19 but particularly in respect of our communications throughout 2020. We have strengthened and upped our game in 2021.

I want to return to the earlier part of the Cathaoirleach’s question to ourselves on respecting our obligations under the Act. We have obviously not done ourselves justice throughout and have not done enough in meeting our obligations on this issue and, certainly, in the context of the new Act, with Cuimín Mac Aodha Bhuí and all the rest of the team, I want us to embrace it in a better way. I have seen where it works well and I came from a role in Fingal County Council where we put a particular plan in place and it very much galvanised the workforce who embraced it. It is something I am very anxious, through our communications director, Mr. Brennock, to embrace, not just in order to meet our obligations, but to try also to get people active and encouraged in the language, including myself obviously.