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

I thank the Deputy. There will be. This is the process that is set out in the legislation for which the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has taken responsibility. The core point, which the Deputy has acknowledged, is that the number of Irish speakers applying to join the Civil Service is quite low. This in itself is a problem we need to address.

I have been looking at the figures. To give context, when comparing the most recent analogous general Civil Service competitions undertaken by PAS at clerical officer level, there were 12,200 applicants where there was no requirement for fluent Irish and 165 where fluent Irish was required. The second figure is 1.35% of the first by comparison. There are some specialist roles that are presenting a number significant challenges in the context of recruitment. That is the reality. This is not an issue that can be resolved through the recruitment channel itself. The availability of people who have the requisite skills and who are willing to apply and take up these roles is key. This requires a whole-of-government approach and that is what the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, is co-ordinating through her role as provided for in the Act.

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