Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the languages in which her Department's telephone messages are recorded; and if her Department's messages include a version in the Irish language. [11888/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Voicemail messages are bilingual (Irish and English) when a member of staff in my Department can provide a service through Irish.

Where staff are unable to provide a service through Irish, the caller is offered the option to have the call returned, within one working day, by an Irish speaking member of staff.

My Department published its Scheme under Section 11 of the Official Languages Act in December 2005. The Scheme, which covers the period 2005-2008, includes a commitment to provide a dedicated telephone number for Irish speaking customers. In order to meet this commitment, a targeted language training programme is being delivered to increase the numbers of staff capable of providing services through Irish.