Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When we engage with this issue we will do so at three levels: courses through Irish; courses teaching the Irish language; and courses in professional Irish for certain occupations. For example, GPs, veterinary surgeons, nurses, speech therapists and all the other practical professions working in the Gaeltacht would need to know the language of their profession as well as a general competence in the language. I accept that the Minister is positive about this matter. Can he give me some indication of when we might engage bilaterally in order that we could move this forward? Are discussions taking place between his Department and the Department responsible for the Gaeltacht on this issue?. One of the fears I have from past experience is that we will bring in a law but will not be able to implement it without a total co-ordinated cross-Government approach.

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