Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ryan. It is a really important issue. I am lucky enough to have a bit of Gaeltacht in my constituency in, for example, places like Cape Clear. I appreciate that this is an issue. The Senator backed up what she had to say with statistics on the number of Irish speakers. What I will outline here are the immediate plans in respect of tying in with the recent planning legislation passed by the Houses, and also the guidelines that are forthcoming.

The Irish language is the first official language of the State, as recognised under Article 8 of the Constitution. The language has a rich cultural heritage and continues to be an important expression of our shared national identity. The language planning process, provided for in the Gaeltacht Act 2012, is the primary legislative mechanism by means of which the objectives of the Government’s 20-year strategy for the Irish language from 2010 to 2030 will be achieved. It is a specific objective of the national planning framework to support the implementation of language plans in Gaeltacht language planning areas, Gaeltacht service towns and Irish language networks. In addition, section 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires that local authority development plans include objectives for the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht, including the promotion of Irish as the community language.

The development plan guidelines for planning authorities were published in 2022. Their purpose is to provide planning authorities with further practical guidance on the implementation of this requirement through the objectives of their development plans. Part 3 of the recently enacted Planning and Development Act 2024 provides for the preparation of bespoke priority area plans for Gaeltacht areas, while consultation with Irish language bodies has also been reviewed and improved. The new Act is to be commenced on a phased basis this year. My Department is carrying out necessary preparatory work in advance of bringing the legislation into effect, including the drafting of detailed secondary legislation.

To supplement the level of guidance available to local authorities, since 2022 my Department has been engaged in the preparation of new planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas. As part of the preparation, the introduction of an agreed standardised language test for all or some of the occupants of new residential development, to be addressed as part of the planning process in Gaeltacht areas, is being considered in conjunction with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The purpose of this is to create certainty and a level playing field through a consistent and fair approach to language testing, the aim of which is to protect and promote Irish as the community language in Gaeltacht areas. This may involve use of a system known as Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, which provides a series of general Irish language proficiency examinations and qualifications for adult learners of Irish. An interdepartmental group comprising officials from my Department, as well as the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and Údarás na Gaeltachta, has been working to progress the development of specific proposals in this regard.

Cognisant of the need to carefully consider the complex matters involved, I must state that any finalised draft guidelines or a national planning statement prepared under the 2024 Act when the relevant provisions are commenced will be subject to mandatory screening under EU law for strategic environmental assessment, as well as for the purposes of appropriate assessment. It is intended that subject to the outcome of these screening exercises, the draft will then be published for public consultation.