Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his proposals to eliminate wasteful spending in regard to the implementation of the provisions of the Official Languages Act, 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16748/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, language schemes constitute the core element of the Act. The schemes approved by me to date reflect the resources and capacity currently available to public bodies and build on what is already there. The approach being adopted when agreeing schemes with public bodies is to emphasise practicality and the need to live within existing resources. Cost issues continue to be addressed from within existing allocations, or otherwise on a marginal or replacement cost basis. It remains critically important to get the balance right — to show real progress on meeting our constitutional obligations while at same time managing the process within existing resources as far as possible and planning for the long-term.

Given its position as the first constitutional language, the objective is to ensure that delivery of public services by public bodies through the Irish language is seen as normal and required to meet minimum standards of customer service and corporate governance, rather than an optional extra or add-on. Given the constitutional position and how that was applied in the Ó Beoláin case of 2001, it would be a mistake to think there is a choice between implementing the Act — with consequent costs — and not implementing it. The Act provides a planning mechanism by which constitutional obligations can be met over time in a planned and coherent way. The alternative is an ad hoc approach, in which public bodies respond in a fragmentary and crisis management way to perhaps much more prescriptive judicial orders.

With regard to the issue of translation costs, I should once more point out that the Act does not require that all documents have to be translated into Irish. It provides that a number of key documents shall be published in each of the official languages. In relation to the question of costs, I would refer the Deputy to the reply to Parliamentary Questions on the 3rd of February 2009 in respect of the costs associated with the implementation of the Act since its enactment in 2003. Of the 15 Departments of State, 11 replied. When the figures are totalled, I have estimated that the average direct costs per year amounted to some €600,000, or put another way approximately €11,000 per Department. I am of the view that no fair-minded person would consider these costs either excessive or unreasonable.

I also believe that public bodies, particularly in relation to translation of documents, can achieve greater cost-effectiveness. This could be secured by planning earlier in the process for translation; greater use of standardised templates for documents such as annual reports; and publication by way of CDs or the Internet, rather than hard copy. The Government adopted a similar policy last year as one of a number of measures designed to reduce costs across public bodies. The roll-out by Foras na Gaeilge of the accreditation system for translators, which it has developed at my request, will also help ensure that public bodies receive translation product that is reliable and meets a high standard.

I should also refer to the Official Languages Act 2003 (Section 9) Regulations 2008, which I made on 1 October 2008. These Regulations were drafted to allow a phased approach to ensuring compliance and to minimise costs. For example, the Regulations provide that existing stocks of stationery that do not comply with the requirements may nonetheless be used up over a period of years. In relation to signage, the Regulations take immediate effect only in the case of new signage. Existing signs that are not in compliance may nonetheless remain in situ for varying periods of years, up to 1 January 2026. These provisions are intended to ensure that any costs arising in updating signage are minimal and — if any such costs indeed arise — they can be spread over a number of years.