Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

The answer is more or less as I feared. It is almost a year since the statement on the Irish language and there is still no absolute guarantee that the consultants will be appointed before the end of the year. The Minister stated that he expects the strategy to be completed by the end of next year.

There is a need to examine the background to this matter. There are contradictory dates on the Department's website but in June or July 2004 Fóram na Gaeilge was established and charged with advising the Minister on the strategy. On 30 December 2005, Coiste Comhairleach na Gaeilge, the advisory council set up to advise the Minister on the Gaeltacht Commission's report, and Fóram na Gaeilge were amalgamated. The Department has been dealing with the Irish language since 1997 but there is still no firm date regarding when the strategy will be produced. The Minister has come around to the view — he was not always enamoured of it — that a strategy is fundamental.

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