Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá an cheist seo i mBéarla mar sin tá an freagra i mBéarla. The 20-year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010—2030 represents the State's policy in relation to the language. The strategy has cross-departmental ownership and, accordingly, responsibility for its implementation rests with several Departments, in addition to Irish-language and Gaeltacht institutions and organisations. My Department is responsible for co-ordinating the implementation of the strategy.

To accelerate implementation, my Department published a five-year action plan for the language in June 2018 following a public consultation process and extensive engagement with key stakeholders. It contains more than 180 actions to be implemented over a five-year period by around 60 stakeholders across each of the nine areas of action set out in the strategy. The plan provides for a more efficient framework that supports the ongoing implementation of the strategy and is focused on specific, measurable and time-bound activities. The plan also serves to stimulate more efficient and effective participation with the overall objectives of the Government in relation to the Irish language in the context of the 20-year strategy.

In line with a commitment made when the plan was first published, the Government publishes annually an implementation report covering all of the aforementioned actions contained in the action plan. Further details of significant advances being made across Government in support of the Irish language can be found on my Department's websites. Key actions include: the ongoing implementation of the language planning process under the Gaeltacht Act 2012; the ongoing implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 being spearheaded by the Department of Education; the implementation of a range of programmes by Údarás na Gaeltachta and Foras na Gaeilge aimed at strengthening the use of the language within the Gaeltacht and on an all-island basis; and the initial steps now in hand to develop a national plan for the provision of Irish-medium public services following the signing into law of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021.

I am confident that, with the additional financial allocations being provided for the language of €8.5 million, my Department and other stakeholders will be enabled to take further significant strides in advancing implementation of the plan to the overall benefit of the Irish language and Gaeltacht regions.

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