Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 18 December 2018

Joint Standing Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands

Seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge: Tusla

4:00 pm

Mr. Patrick Smyth:

We have one in place and one to recruit. The Irish language services are about 6% of the total early years area, so of the 50 or 55 posts, three to four Irish language inspectors would seem like an appropriate number. As my colleague, Ms McDonnell, said earlier, we have a plan for the next two to three years to put that number in place, but that is heavily dependent, as all things are, on having the approvals and resources in place. That speaks to our determination around those services.

We are also determined to take a broader look through the organisation in terms of a survey of and engagement with staff who are willing to provide and develop services through Irish, and as part of that-----