Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Cuirim fáilte roimh achtú Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2021. Is nóiméad tábhachtach é seo do lucht na Gaeltachta, do na daoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge agus dóibh siúd a bhfuil suim acu sa teanga. Tagann sé i ndiaidh tréimhse fhada chomhairliúcháin agus dhíospóireachta. Feabhsóidh an tAcht seo na forálacha do chainteoirí Gaeilge.

I welcome the enactment of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 on 22 December. It underpins a key programme for Government commitment. It is notable that this coincides with Irish becoming a full working language of the EU institutions at the start of January. As the Deputy is aware from submissions made to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community, the achievement of an ambitious 20% recruitment target of proficient Irish speakers by 2030 requires a cross-government approach. It is ambitious and it is what we must work towards. This is against a backdrop whereby only 0.4% of posts are designated by Civil Service employers as being Irish-speaking posts.

The Act provides that within six months of the date of enactment, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media shall establish an Irish languages services advisory committee. The functions of this committee are set out in the Act, as the Deputy knows, and include the preparation of a national plan within two years of its establishment to increase the provision of services through the medium of Irish as well as periodic surveying of the number of Irish speakers employed in the public service. The work of this committee may include consideration of approaches to the future recruitment of Irish speakers. My Department and the Public Appointments Service, PAS, as the principal recruiter for the Civil Service and public service, will be appropriately represented as members on this committee. The Deputy is aware of a number of actions the Department and PAS are already taking to increase the number of fluent Irish speakers in the Civil Service.

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