Mr. John Howlin:

This is one of the very significant issues we talk about with PAS on an ongoing basis. We have regular meetings with Ms McCabe and her team about a number of issues but this would be one of the key things. I would also say that the Official Languages Act and the targets set out in that are reflected in the Civil Service Renewal 2030 plan and there is a commitment in that which is signed up to by all Secretaries General. A public service conference is being run by my Department next month looking at the workforce of the future and the Official Languages Act is one of the key agenda items on that conference. Colleagues from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media are also speaking at that conference and it will be addressing issues such as inclusion and skills. It represents both aspects of both service delivery and inclusion as well as the skills requirements going forward. It is part of the very significant strategic discussions which are happening around the Civil Service and that Civil Service renewal strategy, but also the wider public service. Myself and my colleague from PAS who sits on the Irish-language services advisory committee would have regular discussions about this. We would have general discussions about new pathways. As Ms McCabe has said, we are in a very tight labour market at the moment in any event and we need to look at new ways of doing things. Looking at those new models through the Irish prism is something we will also be doing quite regularly in what might work with the Irish language. That is where some the discussions and models we will be looking at now around the apprenticeships and internships will be coming from, where they could work, and what areas they could work in.