Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 449: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the percentage of the staff of his Department able to provide services through Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14191/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's customer service action plan has the objective to ensure that persons who wish to conduct their business through the medium of Irish are facilitated and that correspondence received in Irish will be answered in Irish. At present, some 3% of staff surveyed in the Department are available to provide services through the medium of Irish. A number of other staff who may not be as fully proficient in the Irish language also provide limited services through Irish.

My Department's scheme for the provision of services through Irish, prepared under section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003, contains an ongoing commitment to provide appropriate training for all staff of the Department in the Irish language both during and outside office hours and to encourage staff to improve their Irish language skills.