Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views in respect of the 580 public bodies that did not respond to his Department's letter regarding the new regulations he will sign under the Official Languages Act 2003; the plans he has to write once more seeking observations on the regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24973/08]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department first began the process of consultation with other Government Departments in early 2004 regarding the preparation of draft Regulations under section 9(1) of the Official Languages Act 2003. This process continued until September 2006 when I published draft Regulations and laid them before each House of the Oireachtas. Individual Government Departments would also have provided an opportunity for bodies under their aegis to comment on the draft Regulations during this period. Any comments received from such bodies would have been incorporated in observations received by my Department from Departments during the course of that consultation process. As a result, a number of public bodies may not have felt a need to comment on the draft Regulations again when given the opportunity by my Department to do so in 2007.

As the Deputy is aware, I had the opportunity of presenting the draft Regulations to members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on 2 different occasions in late 2006. Both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann approved the draft Regulations on 14 December 2006. Following my discussions with the Committee, I considered it appropriate to give public bodies a further opportunity to comment on the draft Regulations. Accordingly, at the beginning of 2007 my Department wrote to all public bodies covered by the Act (including Government Departments). As I indicated at a meeting of the Committee on 18 June 2008 when discussing the proposed Regulations, approximately 20 public bodies responded with comments and suggestions, some of which have been included in the revised draft of the Regulations, which was circulated to members of the Committee. The Committee is scheduled to meet again on 2 July next to discuss the Regulations for the final time. In the meantime, Members have been invited to forward any comments/amendments that they may have to my Department. Following this meeting, I expect to be in a position to make the Regulations.

As I indicated when the Deputy put this matter to me at the meeting of the Committee on 18 June, I do not consider that a further round of consultations would add value at this stage, having regard to the extensive, comprehensive consultation process which has already been undertaken.