Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 151: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the percentage of the staff of her Department able to provide services through Irish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14178/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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For the purpose of providing services through Irish, 20 staff members have been officially designated. This amounts to 3.15% of the total number of staff. However, there are other staff who can provide services through Irish but who have not been officially designated for this purpose, so the figure of 3.15% is an underestimate. There is ongoing training provided to develop Irish language skills in the Department, for example, in 2005, 15 staff attended courses run by Gaeleagras, the Irish training unit for the Public Service, and two staff were awarded "An Ghaeilge Fheidhmeach" diplomas from UCD.