Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 168: To ask the Taoiseach the cost to his Department, in each year since its introduction, of implementing the provisions of the Official Languages Act 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3416/09]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The primary objective of the Official Languages Act, 2003 was to ensure better availability and a higher standard of service to the public in Irish. This was already a key feature of my Department's Customer Charter, which undertakes that customers who wish to conduct their business through Irish can do so. Because the primary focus however, of my Department's work is on dealings with Government and other Departments and Agencies, we do not experience a significant level of demand from the public for service in Irish. Nevertheless, in keeping with the spirit of the Act, we are fully committed to improving the service we provide in Irish and to developing, on an ongoing basis, a positive culture that encourages the use of Irish both within the Department and with our customers.

On foot of the Act, a Scheme was prepared following consultation with my Department and after advertising for submissions from the public. This Scheme outlined my Departments proposed measures to meet the obligations of the Act over the period 2005-2008. Work is currently underway in preparing the next Scheme which will cover the period from 2009 — 2011. I do not anticipate measures in the new Scheme which will give rise to significant costs to my Department.

As my Department was already providing a bilingual service as part of our customer service commitments prior to the Official Languages Act 2003, it is difficult to quantify exactly how much is directly attributable to the implementation of Act.

Costs which are principally incurred by my Department in relation to the Irish language include translation, advertising, minor adjustments to the Department's website and from time to time, some specific Irish language training.

Since the enactment of the Act, my Department and Agencies have spent approximately €3,000 on advertisements in Irish alone, and approximately €386,000 on advertisements in Irish and English. Assuming that something less that half of the latter cost relates to the content in Irish, the total expenditure on advertising in the Irish language is less than €196,000.

These costs relate in the main to public notices for events such as the National Day of Commemoration and the 1916 Commemoration, and to public consultation processes such as the recent OECD Review. It has long been the practice of my Department to publish such notices in both of the official languages. This practice pre-dates the enactment of the Official Languages Act and demonstrates my Department's ongoing commitment to providing a higher standard of service in both languages to our customers.

The Irish language training needs of staff in my Department are predominantly met by the Centre for Management and Organisation (CMOD) which provides Irish courses for the Public Service — Gaeleagras na Seirbhíse Poiblí — the costs of which are met from the central budget.

From time to time, some staff members attend specific Irish language courses outside the remit of CMOD.

The cost of such courses since the implementation of the Act has been in the region of €7,000 and has been met from the overall training budget for the Department.

As one would expect, the vast majority of translation costs incurred by my Department over the years has been in respect of translation from English to Irish with a view to providing a better service to those who wish to receive material in or conduct their business through the medium of Irish. Accordingly, approximate costs of translation over the years have been as follows:

Translation costs 2003 – €28,245

Translation costs 2004 – €40,673

Translation costs 2005 – €46,786

Translation costs 2006 – €81,527

Translation costs 2007 – €68,511

Translation costs 2008 – €56,873

As you will see, while there has been some increase in the cost of translations to my Department since the enactment of the Official Languages Act, 2003, it is not possible to ascertain exactly how much of this cost relates directly to the implementation of the Act.